The Ecology and Organisation of Social Behaviour

Abstract

Animals do not operate in isolation within their environment. Their activities are, to a large extent, constrained by the requirements of other individuals sharing the environment. The presence of conspecifics and animals of other species is likely to influence practically every behaviour an animal performs. The efficiency of breeding behaviour, feeding, predator avoidance, even thermal regulation may be affected by the degree of proximity of other animals. In some cases the efficiency of a behaviour is enhanced by close proximity to others; in other cases it is enhanced by ensuring that neighbours are kept at a prescribed distance. In this chapter, we shall look at some of the factors influencing the spacing behaviour and social organisation of animals and the way social behaviour affects the various maintenance activities they have to perform. Since an animal’s spatial relationship with its neighbours places important limits on what it can do and where it can do it, it is unlikely that selection will leave spacing patterns to chance. As with the topics discussed in preceding chapters, therefore, we shall examine variations in social organisation from an adaptive viewpoint.