Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [ethology]

The scientific study of animal behaviour, and a sub-topic of zoology.

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Do crabs exemplify "crab mentality" behaviour?

Is there any verifiable evidence that crabs, in fact, behave as if they possess "crab mentality"? The term “crab mentality” is used to describe a kind of selfish thinking that runs along the lines of “if I can't have it, neither can …
sashkello
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Do cats get stuck in trees?

There are a number of movies and cartoons that humorously have a hero saving the day by rescuing a cat from a tree (the first one that pops into my mind is in the movie The Incredibles). There are a TON of these kinds of scenes documented here at…
John
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Can a fungus or other parasites turn a high order animal into a zombie that carries out specific actions?

The discovery of several new ant zombie fungi got a lot of media attention over the last two weeks. The fungi take hold over ants and cause them to carry out specific actions beneficial to the propagation of the individual fungus infection. I'm…
Dogmafrog
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Do elephants like to get drunk?

While answering the question about elephants and mice, I was reminded of a clip I saw on The Big Bang Theory. The common lore is that they eat the fermenting fruit of the Marula Tree. But that makes me wonder: Is there enough alcohol to affect an…
Larian LeQuella
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Do we know why animals have evolved to have sex for reproduction?

I've been reading 13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Intriguing Scientific Mysteries of Our Time (2010) and Chapter 10 concentrates on the subject of Sex. The author argues that we do not know why humans, or animals, have evolved to reproduce…
Chris S
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Are there examples of exclusive homosexuality in non-human animals?

I have often heard the claim that homosexuality exists in non-human animals. Sheep and dolphins seem to be common examples. I find it easy to believe that homosexual activity exists - some animals just get so horny that they will try and have sex…
TallGuy
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Do elephants never forget?

There is a ubiquitous belief that "elephants never forget". I know we aren't suggesting that elephants have unlimited memory, but have there ever been any scientific studies/case studies that suggest that elephants have a profound ability to…
MSpeed
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Do dolphins attack dangerous sharks?

I've heard numerous anecdotal claims of people being rescued from shark attacks by dolphins. One source mentions that such rescues happen "surprisingly often", and cites three unreferenced incidents, including one where a pod of dolphins supposedly…
Beofett
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Do roosters let hens eat first?

I recently saw this Reddit comment claiming that roosters are seen as gallant because they let their hens eat first: In France, the Rooster is seen as a symbol of gallantry. This is because, (supposedly,) if the Rooster finds a food source he…
March Ho
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Do dolphins intentionally intoxicate themselves with puffer-fish venom?

Since late 2013, outlets as serious as Smithsonian Magazine have circulated the claim that dolphins intentionally get "high" by harassing pufferfish. It is further claimed that this is a collective behavior in which dolphins pass around the fish to…
Brian Z
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Do European deer still stick to their sides of the Iron Curtain?

I found such a claim in an article here: http://nowiknow.com/the-thin-red-deer-line/ But that was a long time ago, especially if you’re a deer — they only live about ten or so years in the wild. There are few, if any, who are old enough to have…
Przemysław Czechowski
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Have badgers eaten coyotes?

Wikipedia claims that badgers sometimes eat coyotes: In North America, coyotes sometimes eat badgers and vice versa, but the majority of their interactions seem to be mutual or neutral.[19] American badgers and coyotes have been seen hunting…
Arcanist Lupus
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Is the "Alpha Wolf" theory debunked?

The concept of "Alpha" originates in studies of wolves and the theory that an "Alpha" wolf leads a pack. They were very scientifically popular in the 60s/70s, and obviously dominate popular culture. However, the pop-science view that I encountered…
user5341
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Do dogs who play with laser pointers get neuroses?

There are many anecdotes about "laser pointer syndrome" claiming that dogs suffer from something like OCD as a result of playing with laser pointers. Some vet clinics that propagate this claim: E.g. the Kerrville Veterinary Clinic Laser pointers…
Arnon Weinberg
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Do cats always come back home from anywhere?

It is said that no matter how far you take away a cat from home, it always come back from anywhere. Is that true? Obviously, this pre-supposes that: Home is some place that the cat lived in for a while Home is a geographic location, NOT "where the…
smUsamaShah
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