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WorksheetsSocial and Group Behavior SI
Total questions: 17
Worksheet time: 24mins
The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant that traps insects in a plant structure. The plant structure closes when the small hairs on the inside of the structure are touched. The Venus flytrap can attract insects using a special type of plant communication.
How can plants, like the Venus flytrap, communicate with other organisms?
Plants can gently vibrate to touch nearby organisms.
Plants can quickly change the color of their stem to signal other organisms.
Plants can release a chemical that other organisms sense.
Plants can rapidly open and close their leaves to attract other organisms.
Male birds of paradise are known to sometimes dance and throw feathers over their body when females are present.
This behavior is the bird of paradise's method of _______.
intimidation
courtship
speaking
defense
Ants release chemical pheromones that are detected by other ants. Which of the following best describes the purpose of this?
It is a method of excretion.
It is a means of communication.
It is toxic and kills predators.
It is a way to influence genes.
Howler monkeys live in groups of about five to fifteen individuals. When a jaguar approaches the area of a howler monkey group, a howler monkey will make a loud barking call that can be heard up to three miles away. This call is intended to alert other howler monkeys in the group that danger is approaching.
What is a disadvantage of the howler monkey's call?
The jaguar could hear the call and know where the howler monkeys are located.
The call is not loud enough for the other howler monkeys in the group to hear.
The call would let other animals in the area know that danger is approaching.
The jaguar could be afraid of the call and run away from the howler monkeys.
Peacocks have colorful tail feathers with patterns and special spots called eyespots. During the spring and early summer, peacocks spread out their tails to show off all of their feathers to the females of their species.
What is the purpose of this behavior?
to protect its young from predators
to attract a mate to reproduce with
to scare predators away for its own protection
to show that it is happy
Many species of animals, such as wildebeests, travel in herds. What effect does traveling in a herd have on wildebeests?
It helps protect their young from predators.
It makes more grass available for each of them to eat.
It helps them find places to rest.
It increases the probability of being hunted by lions.
Animals can communicate using visual or auditory messages. What type of message would an elephant use to communicate with another elephant that is several miles away?
a visual message by raising its trunk high into the air
a visual message by quickly flapping its ears back and forth
an auditory message by making a trumpeting sound
an auditory message by blowing bubbles into water
Many species of fish swim in tight formations called schools. The fish in a school speed up, slow down, and turn nearly simultaneously. The photograph shows a school of sardines.
How does swimming in a school benefit the sardines?
It reduces predation by making the group of sardines look like one large organism.
It prevents the sardines from being caught in large fishing nets.
It increases the amount of food available to each individual sardine.
It allows the sardines to swim much faster than if they were swimming individually.
Gibbons are a type of ape. Gibbons communicate the same message using both auditory and visual methods. In the mornings, male and female gibbons make a loud, repetitive sound together that can be heard by other animals in the area. If another animal enters the gibbons' area, the gibbons will chase away or try to fight that animal.
What message do both of these methods communicate to other animals in the area?
The area has a new predator and other animals should come fight.
The area has food resources that can be shared with other animals.
The area will experience extreme weather and other animals should find shelter.
The area is the gibbons' territory and other animals should stay away.
A female firefly recognizes males of her own species because the males give off a specific flash pattern.
What type of behavior is a male exhibiting when he displays his flash pattern to a female?
foraging behavior
learned behavior
social behavior
defensive behavior
Wolves use both auditory and visual methods to communicate with their pack. Auditory methods of communication include howling, growling, and whimpering. Visual methods of communication include pinning their ears back, tucking their tail, making direct eye contact, and showing their teeth.
What is one advantage of using an auditory method of communication instead of a visual method of communication?
Only an auditory method can let the pack know the wolf is about to attack.
Only an auditory method can help the pack find new sources of food.
Only an auditory method can help find pack members that are far away.
Only an auditory method can let the pack know that the wolf is scared.
A type of whale called an orca lives in a pod that has between 5 and 30 whales. Members of an orca pod communicate using the same unique sound. Each orca pod communicates with a different sound. A newborn orca learns the unique sound from its mother and other pod members.
How does this form of auditory communication benefit orcas?
When two different orca pods meet, orcas can learn the new pod's unique sound.
When orcas hear their pod's unique sound, they will know to swim away from the sound.
When two different orca pods meet, young orcas can find their pod members.
When orcas hear their pod's unique sound, they can locate prey in deep, dark water.
Hyenas hunt in packs and prey on wildebeests. Sometimes, a lion will try to eat the wildebeest that a hyena is eating. A hyena is much smaller than a lion, and is not able to defend itself against a lion on its own. When a hyena is competing with a lion for the wildebeest, the hyena will make a loud, giggling sound. Other hyenas come to the area to help their pack member.
How does the hyena's communication help it survive?
It warns other pack members that they need to stay away from the food source.
It tells other hyenas that they need to work as a pack to defend their food source.
It informs the pack that they need to hunt for a new food source.
It alerts the lion that the hyena does not want to fight for the food source.
Which of the following is an example of a sensory cue (the 5 senses) that an animal could use to attract a mate?
the color of a peacock's tail
the song of a croaking frog
a chemical odor released by an insect
all of the these
Mountain pine beetles eat the bark of pine trees. If one pine tree in an area is being harmed because several mountain pine beetles are eating its bark, other pine trees in the area will produce an increased amount of sap. The sap protects the tree from being harmed by mountain pine beetles.
How do the trees surrounding the harmed tree know to produce more sap?
The harmed tree communicates with the surrounding trees by producing a soft hissing sound.
The harmed tree communicates with the surrounding trees by releasing a chemical.
The surrounding trees can smell the increased number of mountain pine beetles.
The surrounding trees can feel the vibrations made by the wings of the mountain pine beetles.
When a female fox notices that a wolf is approaching her area, she will make a long, sharp alarm sound.
What is most likely the reason that the fox makes this sound?
To tell her fox cubs that there is danger, so they will go to the den.
To bring a different species to the area that will attack the wolf.
To communicate to the wolf that she is going to leave the area.
To warn other animal species about the wolf, so they will run away.
During their mating season, male song sparrows sing to attract female song sparrows. A healthy male song sparrow is able to learn songs from other male song sparrows, and then produce a more complex song. Female song sparrows are attracted to more complex songs.
Why is the difference in song complexity important during mating season?
The healthy males will teach the females the complex songs so they can attract males.
The females will mate with healthier males, so they can produce stronger offspring.
The healthy males will attack unhealthy males that are entering their territory.
The females will know to stay away from the song sparrows with complex songs.
