Discussion pages addition - Research Paper Example

Contrasting Scientific Versus Popular Views of Animal Behavior Introduction “Behavior” is an intentional directed response exhibited by an organism in relation to the environment. These exhibited responses could be chemical or physical. Observed behaviors are extensive and most elaborate. Consequently, animal behavior is presented by various zoological studies as expression of an intended effort for adapting or adjusting to the various internal and external environmental conditions, also described as an organism’s response to a stimulus.

In the same context it is also described as inclusion of everything that animals do notwithstanding the size of the animal. Using scientific methods of study, the phenomenon involves investigation of the physical relationship that exist between animals and their immediate physical environment, as well as ecological relationships and interactions to other organisms. Of these studies the animal behavior includes aspects such as how animals feed for themselves, avoiding of predation and survival, deciding on who to mate with and the cycle of reproduction, and subsequent mothering ability and care for the progeny.

Departing from the popular view of studying the animal behavior, the scientific method is a more systematic method of animal study using scientific methods and has evolved over the ages to be referred to as ‘Ethology’ a term that has evolved to find acceptance around the nineteenth century by French zoologist Isidore Geofrey. When describing animal behavior using scientific view, (Butler) provides four critical elements that scientific study of animal behavior must address, these include: causation, the development of the behavior, function, and the concept of evolution of that behavior. (798)The foraging behavior of animals especially the chameleon has received numerous popular and scientific arguments to suggest how the chameleon feeds.

Of these, scientific theory becomes most preferred classifying the chameleons as active feeders and ambush forager or an intermediate class commonly referred to as the ‘cruise forager.’ (Peter, Anthony and Jay 3255) These animals have been studied both scientifically and by popular views. To this extent different studies use different terminologies to explain the behavior of chameleons. The scientific studies have their own ways of classifying and identifying the different species of chameleons; while the popular views have their own ways of analyzing the behavior and spices of chameleons.

This is to say that, animal behavior can be studied differently. This is scientifically and by popular view of articles.Considering the scientific study and views of chameleons, different terminologies are used to explain the nature of the chameleons. Popular views in articles use words like, foraging to explain the change of behavior of different animals; these are animals are lizards. They have a history of foraging .Their main purpose of doing so is to escape dangers like predators. Popular views have come up with different terminologies, to explain the behavior of lizards.

The most known type of behavior for lizards is the “sit and wait”. The lizard pretends to be dead in the presence of predators or change in color to look like its surrounding. This makes it difficult for predators to be able to see it. (Travis, Luke and Jonathan 3)In scientific views, terminologies such as Mother-lode chameleon are used. In addition, terms such like the Trio ceros chameleons explains the existence in Cameroon in Africa. Scientific views, explain in details the origin of the animal species.

The behavior of the animal is also put into consideration. Science explains how the animals mat, feed and the internal body parts of the animal and how it reacts to stimuli. (Chameleon Forums)In describing these foraging habits as exhibited by the chameleon species, the popular view does not provide an in depth for these observed differences in the foraging. To this end, the popular view suggests that ‘Cruise forager’ is a ‘species that moves, stops and merely scans the environment, then moves stops…” (Butler 798) a characteristic exhibited by the Bradypodium pumilum.

While expanding on this popular stand point, the scientific view further suggests that the particular foraging habit is compounded by morphological and behavioral mechanisms that justify this particular foraging behavior, in particular, studies by (Peter, Anthony and Jay 3261) suggests that “this unique morphology may have facilitated a novel hunting not used by other predators”Popular views only explain of how the animals survive, where they come from, and how they escape extinction. For example the Trioceros chameleon is known to exist in Africa and has what looks like horns at its forehead.

The animal uses the horns for defensive purpose; especially when it is mating season. (Travis, Luke and Jonathan 5)In the use of pictures and graphs, scientific views are usually detailed. In the naming of the chameleon, for example, every body part of the Trioceros will be named. These are parts like the long coiled and scaly tail, the sharp horns on the forehead, eyes that are popped covered by a thick layer of skin, scaly hard feet with tough nails .In scientific views, while using diagrams and pictures, all the body parts of the animal are named and given its function.

The tail is long and coiled to enable the animals hold itself in twigs of trees. The chameleon has a long sticky tongue that has chemical substances which assist in snatching, holding, and digestion of its prey. The eyes of the chameleon revolve 360 degrees; this feature enables it to see all around its environment to either attack its prey or hide from predators. (Chameleon Forums)Interestingly, the scientific view uses quantitative and observable data on the behaviors exhibited by the chameleons to further quantitatively and qualitatively ascertain the observable foraging behavior.

(Peter, Anthony and Jay 3262) In their studies to justify the foraging behavior of Chamaeleo jacksonii uses “standard video recorder for approximately 30 min” for chameleon foraging behavior. To further expound on the popular view of tongue prehension, the scientific view advances that the tongue prehension observation is facilitated by an adhesive mechanism, with studies confirming that a chameleon’s tongue pad is supplied by many epithelial cells and papillae to achieve the interlocking mechanism of prey capture.

The advantage of scientific view provides detailed information to the readers on how the animal being studied survives in its ecosystem. The disadvantage of scientific views is that it uses very difficult terminologies, and not everyone can pronounce them. The learners therefore, get bored and loose interest in the subject being studied. The advantage of popular views is that, it uses simple language to explain the behavior of a certain animals. It uses diagrams that are not detailed, and this enables the readers to be able to easily understand the behavior of the animal being studied with less effort.

The disadvantage of popular views is that, animals are not studied in details, and sometimes false information is given to the people studying a certain animal.To this end, it can be concluded that the popular observable animal behaviors can be justifiably used to provide a basis for anchoring scientific studies about animal behavior. The popular views further provide confidence for testing scientific theories in ethology as animals are always capable of attaining their optimal behavioral approaches to solving their needs.

Works CitedButler, Marguerite. "Foraging Mode of Chameleoon, Bradypodium pumilum: A Challenge to the sit and wait versus active forager paradigm." Journal of the Linnean Society 84 (2005): 797-808.Chameleon Forums. 2012 January 2012 .Peter, Aerts, et al. "The Mechanics of Prey Apprehension in Chameleons." Journal of Experimental Biology 203 (2000): 3255-3263.Travis, Hagey, Harmon Luke and Losos Jonathan. "Cruise Foraging of Invansive Chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii xantholophus) in Hawaii." Breviora Museum of Comparative Zoology 516 March 2010: 1-7.