Generating Ideas from Observations of Animal

Behavior

Jabillo, Cindy Joy E.

Department of Biological Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences
Visayas State University, VisCA, Baybay City, Leyte
Philippines 6521- A Bachelor of Science in Biology

INTRODUCTION
Behavior is defined as: the internally coordinated reactions (actions or inactions) of

entire living organisms (individuals or groups) to internal and/or external stimuli,

omitting reactions that are more readily understood as developmental changes.

Animal behavior is the study of how animals interact with one another, move

through their environment, learn about it, and possibly develop a cognitive

knowledge of it, Lavitis D.,et al(2010) Additionally, an organism, a person, or a

system's discernible response or reaction to a circumstance. The series of activities or

responses that an organism, a person, or a system makes in response to a certain

situation are referred to as behavior. It is very important to study animal behavior

because it can be a significant indication of conservation issues, a mechanism for

conservation initiatives, and a means of understanding and predicting the effects of

anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife populations.

Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
 OBJECTIVE

The aim of this activity is to apply the initial steps of the scientific method relating to

animal behavior and also examine the logic of generating questions, hypothesis, and

predictions about animal behavior.

METHODOLOGY

Materials

Laptop or smartphones, internet connection, data, calculator, paper/notebook, pen

Location

The site visited for the study is part of Visayas State University where the animals

being observed located.

Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
Procedure

The class selected a place and animals to observe and after that we settled quietly.

We made sure to not alarm and distract the animal. We are told to watchthe subject

continously for bout 15 minutes. A timer is being used in the activity to make it

accurate. After that is we took a detailed notes on the animal’s behavior by the used

of notebook. Every little move of the subject has been recorded even the small

movement of the head of the observed nimals has been noted.

After the observation is finished, we wrote the narrative description in full

paragraphs of what the animal looked like and what it does. The description is

specific and detailedso the readers could visualize exctly what the observer saw. And

lastly, after we wrote the narrative description testable hypothesis is being

developed. It is based on the observation about the behavior of the animal and what

we saw in the field activity.

RESULT AND DISCUSSON

ANIMAL Identification

Name: Wild Boar

Scientific Name: Sus cebifrons

Location/Coordinates:

10°44'37"N,124°47'29 E

Date: 03-03-23

Time started (observation): 10:36 AM

Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
 Time ended (observation): 10:51 Am

The Visayan warty pigs have short legs and medium-sized bodies with a barrel shape.

Short necks, longish heads, small eyes, prominent snouts that end in disk-shaped

noses, and tusks that are raised lower canines are some of their physical

characteristics.

I began to observe as the warty pig continued to devour coconut. It feeds by seizing

the meat from coconuts with its teeth. It even finds it difficult to swallow the food it

consumes. Before ingesting, the warty pig will chew the coconut meat for around 15

seconds. It immediately moves to the other coconut shell to look for more food after

finishing half of the coconut meat shell. Every last bit of coconut meat from the shell

was scraped off by the warty pig. After finishing the food nearby, it continues to sniff

the air. The warty pig doesn't seem to be satisfied, or perhaps the food isn't enough

for the pig to eat. It continues to chew even after its food has already been gone for

eight minutes. I've also seen that the warty pig becomes distracted whenever

someone walks by along its cage, especially it's cage are close to the road where cars

and students pass by.

Wild Boar/ Visayan Warty Pig Observation:

The wild pig is easily distracted and startled whenever someone walks by along its

cage, especially its cage are close to the road.

Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
Proximate Question:

Does the wild boar would abruptly terrified even just for a little distraction to its

surrounding environment?

Ultimate Question:

Why would the wild boar respond to its external distraction knowing that they has

been there for about certain years, or it have not adopted yet to the environment?

Hypothesis:

The wild boar possessed an innate behavior in which it would quickly respond to its

external distractions even they are exposed with the people around it.

CONCLUSION

The behavior showed by the animal strike me to study other animals in the wild or in

captive because it is very interesting to engage in such activity observation. A great

help to understand the physical morphology and behavior and make a hypothesis to

generate ideas to understand and interpret the characteristic and behavior of the

observed animal.

Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
 RECOMMENDATION

The researcher would recommend to the future researcher to study the behavior of

an animal in captive and in wild in order to see the difference of the two depending

on the factors that lies upon there.

REFERENCES

Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior(2010)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/animal-

behavior#:~:text=Third%20Edition)%2C%202022-

,Abstract,cognitive%20understanding%20of%20its%20environment.

Lavitis D., Lidicker Jr., Freund G.(2010).National Library of Medicine. Anim Behav.
2009 Jul 1; 78(1): 103–110.
doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.03.018

Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.