- Support Material Type:
- Other
An Ethogram is a list of behaviors with precise definitions, usually grouped into categories according to the kind of behavior. Some typical kinds of behaviors, especially when dealing with a group-living animal, might be solitary behaviors, food-related behaviors, social behaviors and aggressive behaviors. Many ethograms also include a code (letter and/or number) that the researcher can use on their data sheet as a shorthand notation for a particular behavior.
Sample Ethogram
| Type of Behavior | Behavior | Code | Description of Behavior |
| Solitary | Groom self | GS | Animal engages in washing or smoothing its own fur or hair using tongue or forelimbs |
| Sleep | S | Animal assumes species-specific position for sleep, stays in one place and is not alert to environmental changes | |
| Rest | R | Animal stays in one place but may be roused easily by environmental changes | |
| Locomote | L | Animal moves from place to place | |
| Food Related | Eat | E | Animal consumes food it finds in its environment |
| Look for Food | LF | Animal searches the environment for food items | |
| Drink | D | Animal consumes water or other liquids found in its environment | |
| Social | Groom Others | GO | Animal engages in washing or smoothing the fur or hair of another animal in its environment |
| Play | P | Animal engages in interactions with others that may involve locomotion, climbing, manipulating objects or other activities that show a relationship between two or more interacting animals | |
| Aggressive | Fight | F | Animal engages in physical conflict with another animal in ite environment |
| Steal Food | SF | Animal approaches another animal that has located food in the environment and either by physical force or distraction, removed that food item from the vicinity of the other animal |
Information on the Internet
- Giant Panda Species Survival Plan: Behavior Ethogram (San Diego Zoo) An extremely detailed ethogram (list of behaviors, detailed definitions of behaviors and codes for a data sheet) that researchers use to study Giant Pandas at the San Diego Zoo.
- The Bicolored Tamarin Web Site: Sample Ethogram A sample ethogram used for observing tamarins. Note that the ethogram is divided into sections such as "social behavior," "solitary behavior," "food behavior," "aggressive behavior," etcetera.
