Defensive Behaviors by Trent Carter [STUDENT]

Defensive Behaviors

trent_177507 — 2018-04-19 14:41:05 UTC

trent_177507 — 2018-04-19 14:44:10 UTC

This is a great example of a defensive behaviour. This shows a Porcupine spraying its quills to protect itself from its predator, the cheetah.

Refrences

trent_177507 — 2018-04-19 14:48:44 UTC

Predator Prey Relationship. (2018). Passionative. Retrieved from .
Interesting porcupine facts: can they shoot their quills?. (2018). Wildlife Detective. Retrieved from .
Eastern Cape & Karoo Safaris (2018). Hunting Porcupine. Retrieved from .
Long eared desert hedgehog rolled in ball. (2015). Minden Pictures. Retrieved from .
Can Porcupines Shoot Their Quills?. (2015). Wonderopolis. Retrieved from .

Different Defensive Behaviors of Porcupines

trent_177507 — 2018-04-19 14:58:24 UTC

Defensive Stage #1

trent_177507 — 2018-04-19 14:59:53 UTC

Porcupines make sniffling and rattling noises with their quills. These noises can be heard from several meters away. Porcupines do this to hopefully scare away the predator, before they get too close. If the predator doesn't leave by then, the porcupine uses another defensive behavior.

Defensive Stage #2

trent_177507 — 2018-04-19 15:06:54 UTC

If/when the predator doesn't get scared off by the rattling and sniffling of the porcupine's quills, then the porcupine goes into a panic stage. It starts to try to run away from the incoming predator. Theres only one problem, a porcupine has very short legs, heavily built for their weight, and huge feet. This is the perfect recipe for a disaster. The porcupine wont be able to get away and is unable to protect its head when it rolls up like a hedgehog.

Defensive Stage #3

trent_177507 — 2018-04-19 15:15:18 UTC

After the predator catches the porcupine, it only has one more chance to save itself. This is when porcupines do what they are known for, spraying their quills at the predator. Right when the predator gets close to the porcupine, it turns around and rims itself into the predator, hopefully stabbing the predators face and paws. If this is successful, the quills brake off into the predator and the scales on them lodge the quills into the predator.

Adaption

trent_177507 — 2018-04-20 03:22:15 UTC

Natural Selection is used to heighten the fitness of organisms within a community. A porcupine went through Natural Selection to get these defensive mechanisms. These mechanisms were adapted through Natural Selection because they are all used to heighten their fitness.

Personal Statement

trent_177507 — 2018-04-20 03:32:58 UTC

Social Behaviors are beneficial to all organisms. They are all meant to improve upon ones fitness. The Defensive Behaviors are adapted through Natural selection; therefore, they are meant to increase the fitness of the given organism. The porcupine has these defensive behaviors so it can protect itself from predators, giving them a higher chance of survival.