Science 5.13B Traits & Behaviors Test

Some behaviors help animals survive. Others have a different purpose. Read the behaviors described below. 1. Wolves hunt together in packs. 2. Male birds sing. 3. Sea turtle hatchlings pop out of eggs and head to the ocean. 4. A killer whale waves its fin. 5. Chimpanzees groom each other. Which sentences describe behaviors that help the animal survive?

• 1 and 3

• 1 and 4

• 2 and 3

• 4 and 5

One interesting behavior of ants is that they live in groups of many ants. How does the behavior of living together help the ants?

• Ants in a large group can share the work of getting food.

• A large group of ants needs more space to live in than one ant does.

• Birds that prey on ants can find a large group of ants more easily.

• Ants living in large groups sometimes move to a new place to live.

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Which best defines an instinct?

• The way an animal interacts with its environment

• A behavior inherited from an animal’s parents

• Skills developed by practice or by watching others

• A trait such as fur color, body shape, or paw size

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Which of these is NOT an inherited trait?

• Number of limbs on a prairie chicken

• Number of limbs on a dogwood tree

• Number of limbs on a jersey cow

• Number of limbs on a tree frog

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A monkey remembers which trees have ripe fruit during different seasons. How does this learned behavior affect the monkey’s chances of survival?

• It increases the chance of survival because it helps the monkey find food.

• It decreases the chance of survival because it helps the monkey find food.

• It does not affect the chance of survival because it does not help the monkey find food.

• It decreases the chance of survival because it does not help the monkey find food.

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Look at this pod of orcas teaching their young to hunt. How does a learned behavior like this improve survival of the group?

• It helps young orcas find food on their own

• It prevents predators from eating adult orcas.

• It allows orcas to stop migrating

• It makes the ocean produce more fish.

A farmer notices owls teaching their young to swoop down on mice. What type of behavior is this, and how does it help survival?

• Learned; it keeps owls safe from storms

• Instinctual; it protects owls from predators

• Learned; it provides a skill for catching prey

• Instinctual; it helps owls fly longer distances

Instinctual behavior in insects often includes building structures. Which example shows this?

• A dog walking on a leash

• A monkey using a stick to collect insects

• A horse learning to pull a cart

• A wasp building a nest

A bear learns to catch fish in a river. How does this learned behavior help its survival?

• It helps prevent the bear from being hunted by people.

• It allows the bear to eat a new food source.

• It teaches the bear to hibernate in winter.

• It helps the bear find water to drink.

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In a savannah food web, Acadia trees provide energy for giraffes, and lions eat the giraffes. What happens if a disease kills many trees?

• The giraffe population will decrease because they lose a food source.

• Lions will increase because they eat fewer giraffes.

• The amount of sunlight in the savannah will decrease.

• The giraffes will begin producing their own food.

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