[photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
Significance of Courtship Behavior in Animals
The main significance of courtship behavior is that it aids reproduction in animals. It does so in the following ways:
- It brings a male and female animal together
- It prepares them for mating
- It brings about egg and sperm production
- The processes lead to reproduction.
Forms of Courtship Behavior in Animals
There are several forms of courtship behavior in animals. These include: territoriality, display, pairing and seasonal migration.
1) Territoriality: This is a form of behavior of animals in which an area is marked out and defended by an individual of a species against individuals of the same species. It is a form of courtship behavior. It is usually established by male animals. Among the vertebrates, only the amphibians do not exhibit this behavior.
Territories are marked by male animals by patrolling along the boundaries or by using scent markers like urine. This scares away other male animals. Females of the species are usually allowed to stay within the territories. If a fight occurs, the males hurt one another badly, and the looser of the fight runs away.
This behavior ensures the adequate availability of life essentials such as food, space, light, water. The fittest individuals reproduce and pass the favorable traits to their offspring. Animals that exhibit this behavior include:
- agama lizards
- birds
- male fishes
- some mammals
(i)Display in Agama lizard: Male agama lizards display their bright color in order to attract the female, as they approach them. The female lizard in turn curves her back and lifts her tail vertically. The male the nods his head, grips her by the neck, and pushes his tail under her body so that their cloacas come into contact for mating to occur.
(ii) Display in Man: Various displays are exhibited by human beings for the purpose of attracting the partners. Some of the displays include: dancing, facial expression, attractive dressing, perfume, singing with sweet voices, e.t.c
(iii) Display in Birds: In the case of domestic fowls, the cock dances towards the hen. He lowers his wings from the hen's side, dances sideways towards her in a staggering way. He then repeatedly beats the lowered wing against his body as he moves towards the hen. If the hen is ready for mating, she runs away. But if ready, she runs a little bit away, gets overtaken by the cock. The cock then mounts on her back, peaks on her head. She then stoops and raises her tail further, which makes her cloaca to be exposed. Mating then occurs.
In the case of peacock, the tail feathers of the male bird is long, large and beautifully colored. The male opens it like a fan to attract the female for mating.
Other forms of display include:
- croaking (in toad)
- nest making (in bird)
- singing (in man and birds)
3) Pairing: This occurs, when two individuals, usually male and female, separate themselves from others, to form a mating pair. It usually occurs for the purpose of mating only, or for a life time. It leads to the individuals pairing up to mate.
Examples of animals that exhibit pairing include:
a) Pairing in man: Male and female, in agreement, come together and live as husband and wife. They live together, have sex, give birth and perform most duties as pairs(partners) together as couple.
b) Pairing in fish: A male fish and female fish pair up during breeding. They swim together to some part of the river. The male arouses the female to lay eggs. The male releases sperm on the laid eggs to fertilize them,
c) Pairing in winged termites: A male winged termite usually pairs up with a female winged termite during breeding season.They both fly out of the colony to form a new one. Once they reach the new colony, the male mounts on the female, and the female lays a fertilized egg. On the long run, the male becomes the king and the female becomes the queen.
d) Pairing in toad: A male toad goes to a pond during breeding and croaks to attract the female toad. When the female is excited and moves close to the male, he mounts on her for 2-3 days. The male remains on her back for the 2-3 days. During this process, the female toad lays eggs in the pond while the male pours sperm on the eggs to fertilize them.
4) Seasonal Migration: This is the migration of organisms from one place to another and back to the original place. In other words, it is the temporary migration of organisms from one place to another with seasons. This can result if the condition of the environment is unfavorable.
Some organisms that exhibit seasonal migration include:
- insects: Typical insects like the desert locusts, migrate from the desert in the North Africa in June to the south, across the Sahara to Niger and Mali where it is already rainy season and the green grass food is already available. The condition is also favorable for reproduction. When it is around October to November, they migrate back to North Africa. By that time, the condition for reproduction and breeding are favorable.
- fish: Typical fresh water fish like the mud fish, before laying their eggs, move from deep water to shallow water. Young fish have higher probability of surviving in shallow water than in deep water because large animals which feed on fish cannot get on them. When the rainy season starts, the mud fish migrate to where they spawn, and migrate back to downstream when the dry season begins.
- birds: Typical birds like the cattle egret, migrate from the northern parts of Nigeria to the southern parts during dry season. They search for life essentials like food and escape from unfavorable conditions of North. They return to the North when the conditions become favorable and the life essentials are back.
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