How does habituation benefit animals

By habituating to less important signals, an animal can focus its attention on the most important features of its environment. A good example of this is species that rely on alarm calls to convey information about predators. In this case animals stop giving alarm calls when they become familiar with other species in their environment that turn out not to be predators.

Habituation is an important component of "not crying wolf" when non-threatening animals come close. Prairie dogs, Cynomys ludovicianus , give alarm calls when mammals, large birds, or snakes approach. Individual prarie dogs are particularly susceptible to becoming food for a coyote, hawk, or rattlesnake, but collectively they are quite well-defended, as their alarm calls facilitate escape in burrows.

When prairie dog towns are located near trails used by humans, giving alarm calls every time a person walks by is a waste of time and energy for the group. Habituation to humans is an important adaptation in this context. In animal behavior studies in the field, investigators often rely on the study animals becoming habituated to the presence of the investigator.

Jane Goodall's famous studies of chimpanzees, for example, depended on the chimpanzees learning to tolerate her presence. The Grand Canyon is a shelter and refuge for many incredible species of wild animals. Please remember that these are wild creatures. If they seem tame, it is because they have become habituated to humans, and that is not natural. Help our wildlife live natural lives, and do not approach or feed them.

Explore This Park. Grand Canyon National Park Arizona. Info Alerts Maps Calendar Reserve. Alerts In Effect Dismiss. Dismiss View all alerts. Wildlife Habituation. Habituation occurs when animals are exposed to the same stimuli repeatedly, and eventually stop responding to that stimulus.

Wild animals should have a fear of humans, but in Grand Canyon National Park, many wild animals are constantly exposed to people. As a result, they lose their fear of humans and stop acting naturally around the humans in the park. When wild animals no longer see humans as a threat, they allow humans to come very close to them- or the animal will approach a human.

While this gives visitors an incredible opportunity to view wildlife, habituation is dangerous for both animals and people. For example, rock squirrels are a commonly habituated animal in the park. If a person comes close trying to take a picture, the squirrel will scamper away. After this happens many times, the squirrel becomes less afraid of people, and a person can come closer before the squirrel leaves.