1. Orientation Responses
Animal

2. General
Orientation repsonses are ones where the animal positions itself or carried out specific behaviours when an environmental factor changes direction, duration or intensity
They can range from simple ones (taxes, kinesis) to changes in factors such as light, humidity or touch, to complex behaviours such as migration or homing
These responses help organisms avoid adverse conditions

3. Taxis
Movement of the whole animal towards or away from a stimulus that is uni-directional
Movement towards the stimulus is positive
Movement away from the stimulus is negative
Tactic responses are named according to the kind of stimulus
Stimulus
positive taxis
towards the
stimulus
negative taxis
away from
the stimulus

4. Kinesis Random movement response
Activity rate it determined by intensity of stimulus rather than direction
Neither positive nor negative
If the organisms speed is effected it is termed orthokinesis
If the organisms rate of turning is effected it is termed klinokinesis
These responses may be modified by the animals internal state

5. Migration Regular, annual mass movements
Move from breeding area to another area where they do not breed and eventually back again
It is carefully planned
Behaviour must be inherited, and maintained by natural selection

6. Advantages Animals remain in a favourable temperature They grow larger
They leave more offspring
They have a constant supply of food
It may lead to the colonisation of a new area
Reduces predation/parasitism disease
Greater genetic mixing
Better breeding conditions

7. Disadvantages They may get lost or caught in a storm
They may get eaten by a predator
They may use up too much energy in the migration, leading to exhaustion
They may starve
It’s a huge investment in energy

8. Triggers
The behavioural trigger that sets off migratory behaviour varies
Maturation – as sex organs mature and there is a need or desire to reproduce
Environmental clues – such as a drop in temperature and shortening of day length
Genetic drive – some behaviour is genetic and some learned, star patterns are learned but how to learn them is innate

9. Homing The ability of an individual to return to the home site
This may be a hive, nest, mound, burrow etc
The home provides food, warmth shelter and protection for young
Animals have to leave the home for food and to find mates but need to be able to find it again

10. Methods of homing and Migration
Methods used to find home and for migration are often the same
Some animals use more than one method
There is a certain amount of learning involved

11. Piloting
An animal moves from one familiar landmark to another until it reaches its destination
This is used over short distances
It uses visual cues

12. Compassing
An animal can detect a compass direction and travels in a straight-line path until it reaches its destination
It can use:
Magnetic field lines
Chemical clues
Sound

13. Navigation
Involves determining one’s position relative to other locations
Two things are required for both solar and stellar navigation:
Map sense – the ability to be aware of lattitude and longitude of an area
Sense of timing – an internal clock