Animal Behavior Lab: Pill Bugs

 

Abstract: In this lab, we wanted to observe the behavior of pill bugs or "rollie pollies." To do so, we setup three different experiments. In each of these experiments, one chamber was a control and the other was the dependent variable. In each of the experiments, we tested one of the five senses (touch, taste, smell...). experiment one proved that the pill bugs enjoy a more wet environment. The second experiment proved that the pill bug is sensitive to strong odors and would prefer to move away from the center of the smell. The third experiment proved that the pill bug doesn't feel uncomfortable in a colder environment.

 

 

Introduction:  Animal behavior is how an animal interacts with its environment.  This behavior can be triggered by a stimulus, taught by a parent, or an instinct that doesn't have to be learned. The first experiment involves testing a if the pill bugs prefer a wet or dry environment. The second experiment tests if the pill bugs prefer an environment with a strong odor. The third experiment tests if a pill bug prefers a cold or warm environment. For each experiment, we posed a proximate question. This means that we a questioning the reaction to an external stimulus or an internal mechanism of an organism. Here's and example: How will a pigeon react to the sound of an eagles call? Another type of question you can ask about behavior is an ultimate question. Ultimate questions ask about an organisms relationship with evolution (natural selection, survival). We are also testing taxis  movement behaviors. Taxis movement is when an organism either moves towards or away from a stimulus. An example is when algae moves towards sunlight so it can complete photosynthesis.  The opposite is kinesis, an organisms movement in response to a stimulus but it does not have a specific direction and or is random.

 

 

 

Hypotheses: 

1.) If pill bugs are exposed to a wet and dry environment, then they will likely move to the wet environment because they have gills that help them breathe.

 

2.) If pill bugs are exposed to a strong odor, then they will move away from the odor because they have a effective sense of smell

 

3.) If pill bugs are exposed to a warm and cold environment, they will prefer the colder one because they usually live under rocks or in the shade.

 

 

Materials: 

- 10 pill bugs

- two platforms with 2 different chambers

- timer

- data sheet

- ammonia

- ice pack

- water

- paper filter

- cover for chambers (only used for the first and second experiment)

 

Procedure:

 

First Experiment-

1. put down paper filter in each chamber

2. drop water on one side and keep the other dry

3. put in pill bugs

4. cover with a paper

5. record data every 30 seconds

 

Second Experiment-

1. put down paper filter in each chamber

2. pour water on one side and ammonia on the other

3. put in pill bugs

4. cover with a paper

5. record data every 30 seconds

 

Third Experiment-

1. put down paper filter in each chamber

2.  put an icepack under one side and stabilize the other, making sure the platform is level

3. put in pill bugs

4. record data every 30 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(FYI: I tried to do a scatter plot graph but the green line did not show up well)

 

 

Conclusion: In these experiments, we explored the different aspects of behavior of the pill bug when its put into different environments. My hypothesis for the first experiment was correct, shown by the data tables. The pill bugs did prefer to be in a moist environment. This response is a classical conditioning response because the pill bugs are responding to the stimulus of their environment. the opposite is operant conditioning that are learned by enforcement, punishment, or reward. This movement can also be considered a Fixed Action Pattern.


Example of a Fixed Action Pattern

A Fixed Action Pattern (FAP) will continue until it is completed by the organism. The pill bugs will continue to move until they reach the wet chamber in the experiment. My second hypothesis was also correct because the pill bugs did stay in the control chamber with only water. This is also a classical conditioning response because the bugs tended to move away from the ammonia chamber on the platform. This is also a FAP because the bugs continued to move away from the ammonia chamber. My final hypothesis was also supported by the data we collected because the majority of the pill bugs didn't avoid the colder chamber. Again, we see the classical condition response because the pill bugs migrated toward the colder chamber on the platform. This movement pattern could be the result of imprinting.

Imprinting is how younger animals tend to follow a parent. Additionally, it means that an animal has learned to recognize an object, individual, or location without the presence of reward. An example of a imprinting is how mother goose imprints on their gosling in order to encourage them to follow and learn quickly how to behave. One aspect of error could be that the platform might not have been touching the icepack completely. Another could have been that some water was left in the chamber after we cleaned the platform between experiments.