increases; in times of depleted resources the
presence of territoriality increases. The
Animal Behavior /
Territoriality
Territoriality is a type of
intraspecific or interspecific competition that
results from the behavioral exclusion of
others from a specific space that is defended
as territory. This well-defined behavior is
exhibited through songs and calls,
intimidation behavior, attack and chase, and
marking with scents. This form of defense
proves to be very costly for animals. So one
is forced to ask, Why do animals take part in
such interspecific competition?
In order to understand this question
one must take a cost-benefit approach to
territoriality. The proximate reasons for such
defense vary. For some animals the reason
for participating in such elaborate protective
behavior is to acquire and protect food
sources, nesting sites, mating areas, or to
simply attract a mate. The ultimate cause of
this behavior may be attributed to the
increased probability of survival and
reproductive successes. In defending a
territory an animal is ultimately securing that
it will have an habitat in which to forage for
food and to successfully reproduce, thus
increasing the animal's overall fitness. This
ultimate theory is strengthened when one
considers the instances in which territoriality
presence of territoriality often forces less fit
animals to live in sub optimal habitats, thus
reducing their reproductive success.
Though territoriality offers immense
reproductive and nutritional benefits, it also
comes at a cost. Defending territory is not
easy. Territoriality cost time and energy and
can often interfere with other fundamental
activities as parenting, feeding, courting, and
mating. For these reasons territoriality may
not be seen as a benefit in all animals.
Animals must be able to reap the fruits of
territoriality, while expending the least
amount of energy. For these reasons if
resources are abundant and predictable it
would be disadvantageous to defend the
territory. On the other hand, if resources are
scarce and undependable it would be
advantageous to exhibit territoriality.
In selecting a territory the size and
the quality play a crucial role in determining
an animals habitat. Territory size generally
tends to be no larger than the organism than
requires to survive, because with an increase
in territory comes an increased in energy
expenditure. For some animals the territory
size is not the most important aspect of
territoriality, but rather the quality of
defended territory. The quality is considered
to be fundamentally important due to
amount of food availability and superior
nesting sights. Animals depend on these
features to ensure their superior fitness.
Animals invest a lot of time and
energy in defending their territories, and for
this reason they fight vigorously to defend
their territory at all cost. Researchers suggest
for this reason that when a rival challenges a
territory holder, the owner almost always
wins the contest. This phenomenon could be
attributed to an evolutionary stable strategy
which assets that rules for behavior is
controlled by an inherited proximate
mechanism such that the differences
between individuals in their strategies are
liked to differences in their genes. Territory
plays an important role as a mechanism of
population regulation, insuring the success
of fit animals, and aiding in the eradication
of less fit animals. Territorially also plays a
fundamental role as an indicator of carrying
capacity; it also serves as an indicator of
how much habitat is necessary to support
viable populations. For these reasons
researchers continue to examine the well-
developed behavior of territoriality.