Animal Behavior

Observing Isopods Lab KINESIS AND TAXIS

Animal Behavior

 Part A: Response to Environmental Variables    Activity A1: Initial Observation of Isopod Behavior Activity A2: Orientation Behavior of Isopods Activity A3: Designing an Experiment to Test Isopod Behavior

National Science Education Standards

   Unifying Concepts and Processes    Systems, order, and organization Evidence, models, and explanation Constancy, change, and measurement Science as Inquiry   Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Understandings about scientific inquiry Life Science  Behavior of organisms

Objectives

   Observe animal behaviors relating to environmental stimuli Learn types of taxis behavior Design and conduct animal behavior experiments

Isopods

 Terrestrial Isopods     Sow bugs (Porcellio laevis) and pill bugs (Armadillidium vulgare)  Roly-polies, potato bugs, wood lice Breathe with gills, must remain moist Similar size, color, and life cycle Different Response to threats   Pill bugs- curl up in tight ball for protection Sow bugs- either flee or remain perfectly still, appearing to be dead

Classification

        DOMAIN - Eukaryotes Phylum) KINGDOM - Animalia PHYLUM – Arthropod (Crustacean – Sub CLASS – Malacostraca ORDER - Isopoda FAMILY – Armadillidiidae GENUS –

SPECIES

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 More closely related to other crustaceans (lobster and shrimp) than insects.

Description: Adults grow to about 3/8 inch long, have a number of rounded body segments and seven pairs of legs.

Sowbugs possess a pair of tail-like structures on the back end of the body. Pillbugs do not have these structures and are capable of rolling into a tight ball when disturbed, a behavior that resulted in their common name, "roly-polies."

Pillbug Natural History

    3800 known species 12-15 species exist in U.S. all came from Europe in the early 1800’s At humidy >87% can absorb water from water vapor.

Nocturnal (lose water while foraging)    Born in mother’s pouch with 6 pairs of legs, after first molt have seven pairs and leave Must molt every 2-3 weeks to grow Live 2-3 years

Significance

    are important decomposers may occasionally feed on roots, should not be regarded as pests.

they remove many of the toxic metal ions from the soil.

Appearance (Morphology)

       Three body parts: head, thorax, abdomen One prominent pair of antennae (one inconspicuous pair) Simple eyes Seven pairs of legs Seven separate segments on thorax Paired appendages at end of abdomen called uropods Color varies from dark gray to white with or without pattern

Pillbug Anatomy

  http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2013/ 03/16/pillbugswoodliceroly-polysetc/ White spots and other observations

Behavior Information Taxes and kineses are simple orientation responses which can maintain an organism in a favorable environment.

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Taxes

 Taxes are movements by an animal towards or away from an environmental stimulus.

 Movement towards a stimulus is a positive taxis, and movement away from a stimulus is a negative taxis.

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Types of Taxes

The type of the stimulus is shown by prefixes:       Photo Geo Hydro Chemo Thigmo Thermo       Light Gravity Water Chemicals Touch Heat 18

Examples of Taxes

•A maggot placed on a sheet of paper will move randomly on the paper if the light source is uniform. •If a light is switched on coming from one direction only, the maggot will move away from the light. This is a negative phototaxis . •The advantage of this taxis to the maggot (and many other small invertebrates) is that moving away from light will take the maggot to a place of shelter where predators will not be able to get at them.

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•The female silk moth releases a pheromone called bombykol. A male silk moth is able to detect single molecules of this substance and fly in the direction of the female in order to mate with her. He does this by having two antennae sensitive to the chemical on either side of his head. He will turn to whichever antennae detects the most bombykol. • This is an example of positive chemotaxis .

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Positive Chemotaxis White blood cells move towards the chemicals released by inflamed and damaged tissues.

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If the behaviour is movement in the direction of the stimulus or away from the stimulus then it is most likely a taxis.

How do I recognise a taxis?

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Positive towards Stimulus

STIMULUS

Negative Away from Stimulus

Euglena – Positive Phototaxic

SHOW EXAMPLE FROM EOC

Positive towards Stimulus

STIMULUS

Negative Away from Stimulus

Moth – Positive Phototaxic

Positive towards Stimulus

STIMULUS

Negative Away from Stimulus

Earthworm – Negative Phototaxic

• Kinesis and taxis are two types of movement-related behaviors.

– Taxis is movement in a particular direction either toward or away from a stimuli –Example: deer running away from rustling in the brush – Kinesis is an increase in random movement.

Example: Pill bugs increase activity as they dry out to find moist areas

Kinesis

 A kinesis is a random movement response to an environmental stimulus that is not oriented toward or away from a stimulus. It is non directional. (Like nastic responses in plants).

 The rate of movement of an animal varies with the intensity of the stimulus. 28

Kinesis - Cockroaches

 A The stimulus is. It is non-directional.  The rate of movement an animal varies with the intensity of the stimulus. When cockroaches are exposed to light, they do not move towards or away from the light they just scatter.

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Procedure- Activity 1

    Observe the isopods for 10 minutes.

 Observe in their undisturbed behavior Note their behavior.

Did you note any agonistic behavior (social interaction)? Are the movements of the isopods better described as taxis or kinesis movements?

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Procedure- Activity 2

Place clean filter paper into each side of the choice chamber.

Using the dropping pipet, saturate the filter paper on one side of the chamber. Pour off any excess water; do not let the water run into the other side of the chamber or moisten the paper there.

Using the sorting brush to transfer 5 isopods to the middle of the chamber Count and record in Table 1 the number of animals on each side of the chamber, every 30 seconds for 10 minutes. Continue to record even if the isopods all move to one side or stop moving.

Repeat data collection from part 2, graph – Write Conclusion, Prepare to share.

Procedure: Activity 3

 Design an experiment to test isopod behavior Choice Cool vs. Warm #2 Chamber Side 1 Resealable plastic bag filled with ice Chamber Side 2 Resealable plastic bag filled with warm water Exposed to light Wrapped with aluminum foil Light vs. Dark #7 Exposed to light Covered with several screens Light vs. Shade #5 Low pH vs. Neutral #4 A few drops of HCL on filter paper A few drops of NaOH Distilled Water on filter paper High pH vs. Neutral #6 Distilled Water on filter paper Substrate material vs. Absence of substrate material #8 Food material vs. Absence of food material #1 Substrate (soil) material present Food material present Substrate (soil) material absent.

Food material absent.

 2 Cold vs. Warm

 7. light vs dark

 #5 Light vs. Shade

 #4 Low ph vs neutral

 #8 Substrate vs no substrate

 #6 High pH vs. neutral

 #1 Food vs. No Food