Press office news tagged animal-behaviour

Hermit crabs are found in rockpools and other locations along the coastlines of the UK and Europe

Hermit crabs with more sensitive claws may be bolder in their decisions

University of Plymouth news: Researchers from the University explored how differences in hermit crabs' sensory abilities influenced how long it took them to recover after being startled.

Cirl buntings were reintroduced in Cornwall as part of a major programme co-ordinated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) between 2006 and 2011

Relocated songbirds can successfully learn the diversity of song they need to survive

University of Plymouth news: A new study led by the University has found nestling songbirds relocated as part of conservation programmes successfully learn the song repertoires they need to communicate – and ultimately survive – in the wild

Giraffe at Paignton Zoo

Academic contributes to new animal welfare guidelines for zoos

University of Plymouth news: Dr Joanna Newbolt is among the contributors to a new set of guidelines that aims to help zoos effectively evaluate the interactions between visitors and their animals

pheasant 

Pheasants at risk on unfamiliar ground

University of Plymouth news: New research involving Dr Mark Whiteside, Lecturer in Animal Welfare, found that pheasants are most likely to be killed by predators on unfamiliar ground.

Pheasants' heads cool rapidly as they prepare to fight then heat up
afterwards (Credit: Martin Clay)

Study shows pheasants lose their cool after fighting

Scientists from the University of Plymouth and Exeter used thermal cameras to watch juvenile pheasants and see how their temperature changed during aggressive interactions that establish the pecking order

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Animal groups consider multiple factors before fighting

New research involving the University of Plymouth suggests that groups of animals consider multiple factors before deciding whether to fight rivals

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Judges’ decisions in sport focus more on vigour than skill

A study by the University of Plymouth suggests that, in sporting contests, the rate at which competitors fight is more likely to result in judges awarding victory than the skill with which they attack their opponents

A simple method of ‘listening’ to chicks may allow welfare issues to be picked up at the earliest possible opportunity (Credit: Katherine Herborn, University of Plymouth)

Simple way of ‘listening’ to chicks could dramatically improve welfare

New research led by the University of Plymouth suggests a simple and low-cost method of ‘listening’ to chicks may allow welfare issues to be picked up at the earliest possible opportunity.

An olive sea snake (Aipysurus laevis) surveys the seabed in Western Australia (Credit Bruno Simoes, University of Plymouth)

Sea snakes have been adapting to see underwater for 15 million years

Research led by the University of Plymouth has for the first time provided evidence of where, when and how frequently species of sea snake have adapted their ability to see in colour

The peppery furrow shell (Scrobicularia plana) on the seabed (Credit Carl Van Colen)

Warmer and acidified oceans can lead to ‘hidden’ changes in species behaviour

Research published in Nature Climate Change, involving scientists at the University of Plymouth, shows that in warmer seawater with lower pH, a common clam – the peppery furrow shell (Scrobicularia plana) – makes considerable changes to its feeding habits

A leopard seal hunting in the Antarctic (Credit James Robbins)

Film crews capture first evidence of leopard seals sharing food

James Robbins, a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth, has led a new study which showed up to 36 seals feeding at the same king penguin colony in South Georgia

Dikerogammarus villosus (Credit Michal Grabowski, University of Lodz)

Fear of ‘killer shrimps’ could pose major threat to European rivers

Researchers involving the University of Plymouth found the fear of invasive ‘killer shrimps’ can intimidate native organisms to such a degree that they are incapable of performing their vital role in river systems