Questions on Animal Behavior: Innate, Learned, Social, and Cyclic
Animal Behavior: Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is an example of innate behavior?
A) A dog learning to sit on command
B) A bird building a nest without being taught
C) A dolphin trained to do tricks
D) A child learning a new language
E) A chimp using a stick to get termites
2. What characterizes learned behavior?
A) It is present at birth
B) It is genetically inherited
C) It changes through experience
D) It is instinctive
E) It cannot be altered
3. A fixed action pattern is:
A) A behavior that is always learned
B) A random behavior
C) A sequence of innate behaviors that once started, continues to completion
D) A group of social behaviors
E) A type of mimicry
4. Which of the following is an example of imprinting?
A) A parrot mimicking words
B) A dog learning to fetch
C) Ducklings following the first moving object they see
D) A cat hunting mice
E) A bat using echolocation
5. Classical conditioning involves:
A) Repeated exposure to a stimulus
B) Associating a neutral stimulus with a meaningful one
C) Observing and imitating others
D) Solving problems through trial and error
E) Genetic programming
6. Which of the following is not an example of learned behavior?
A) A raccoon opening a garbage bin
B) A spider spinning a web
C) A chimpanzee using tools
D) A rat solving a maze
E) A dog responding to a bell
7. Which type of learning is involved when an animal learns to associate a behavior with a consequence (reward or punishment)?
A) Habituation
B) Classical conditioning
C) Operant conditioning
D) Imprinting
E) Instinct
8. Which of the following behaviors is most likely instinctive in birds?
A) Singing a specific song
B) Learning flight paths
C) Mimicking human speech
D) Pecking order establishment
E) Migrating during specific seasons
9. What is habituation?
A) Learning through rewards
B) Learning to ignore a repeated, harmless stimulus
C) Genetic programming of behavior
D) Copying others’ actions
E) Avoiding unfamiliar places
10. Which term refers to behavior involving interaction between individuals of the same species?
A) Innate behavior
B) Social behavior
C) Reflex behavior
D) Learned behavior
E) Defensive behavior
11. Which of the following is a cyclic behavior?
A) Mating rituals
B) Migration during winter
C) Dominance hierarchies
D) Tool use
E) Trial-and-error learning
12. A behavior that repeats in 24-hour cycles is called a:
A) Seasonal rhythm
B) Diurnal reflex
C) Circadian rhythm
D) Annual instinct
E) Periodic reflex
13. Which is a social behavior that promotes group survival?
A) Fighting over territory
B) Cannibalism
C) Grooming in primates
D) Flight response
E) Solitary hunting
14. Which behavior involves communicating through chemicals?
A) Echolocation
B) Vocalization
C) Pheromone signaling
D) Visual mimicry
E) Body posture
15. What is an example of a learned behavior in animals?
A) Migration
B) Suckling by a newborn
C) Web spinning
D) Problem-solving in crows
E) Reflexes
16. A behavior that is not learned and is present from birth is called:
A) Acquired behavior
B) Adaptive behavior
C) Reflexive behavior
D) Innate behavior
E) Conditioned response
17. Which of the following is an example of trial-and-error learning?
A) A bear catching fish for the first time
B) A lion instinctively stalking prey
C) A bird singing without training
D) A turtle hatching and heading to the sea
E) A baby crying when hungry
18. Which behavior would most likely be involved in parental care in animals?
A) Hibernation
B) Foraging
C) Grooming offspring
D) Camouflage
E) Echolocation
19. What type of communication is involved when bees perform the “waggle dance”?
A) Chemical
B) Visual
C) Auditory
D) Tactile and visual
E) Olfactory
20. The dominance hierarchy observed in some animal groups is an example of:
A) Reflex behavior
B) Social behavior
C) Cyclic behavior
D) Solitary behavior
E) Learned behavior only
21. Learning by watching others and mimicking their actions is called:
A) Conditioning
B) Social learning
C) Imprinting
D) Habituation
E) Reflex action
22. Which of the following behaviors helps animals conserve energy during extreme conditions?
A) Migration
B) Foraging
C) Hibernation
D) Courtship
E) Communication
23. The innate tendency of salmon to return to their birthplace to spawn is an example of:
A) Habituation
B) Conditioning
C) Social learning
D) Instinct
E) Imitation
24. A biological clock in animals is controlled by:
A) Temperature
B) Genetics and external cues
C) Amount of food
D) Behavior of others
E) Learned habits only
25. Territorial behavior is often used to:
A) Avoid all social interaction
B) Attract a mate
C) Claim space and resources
D) Encourage migration
E) Prevent growth
Answer Key with Explanations
1. B – Innate behaviors are present at birth, like a bird building a nest without being taught.
2. C – Learned behavior changes based on experience.
3. C – Fixed action patterns are instinctive sequences that run to completion.
4. C – Imprinting occurs early in life and is irreversible, like ducklings following their mother.
5. B – Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with something significant.
6. B – Web-spinning is innate in spiders.
7. C – Operant conditioning involves reinforcement (reward/punishment).
8. E – Seasonal migration is an innate behavior.
9. B – Habituation is ignoring a repeated harmless stimulus.
10. B – Social behavior involves interaction within a species.
11. B – Migration is a seasonal cyclic behavior.
12. C – Circadian rhythms follow a 24-hour biological cycle.
13. C – Grooming in primates strengthens social bonds.
14. C – Pheromones are chemical signals for communication.
15. D – Problem-solving is learned through experience.
16. D – Innate behaviors are inherited and present at birth.
17. A – Trial-and-error involves repeated attempts and learning from mistakes.
18. C – Grooming and feeding young are examples of parental care.
19. D – The waggle dance uses movement (tactile and visual cues).
20. B – Dominance hierarchies are part of social behavior.
21. B – Social learning is observing and mimicking others.
22. C – Hibernation reduces metabolic rate to save energy.
23. D – The return of salmon to spawn is instinctive.
24. B – Biological clocks are influenced by genetics and cues like light.
25. C – Territorial behavior helps secure space and resources.
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