Experimental Animal Behavior - The Time Budget

Objectives:

1. Prepare EthoScribe/Newton data collection devices for ethogram of squirrels - Class review of how to do a Time Budget
2. Use continuous/focal sampling to construct a time budge for squirrel behavior
3. Use scan sampling to construct a time budget for squirrel behavior
4. Graphically represent the time budges from each technique in one or more bar graphs
5. Understand the pros and cons of each method

Equipment:

1. Pen/Pencil and paper, lab notebook
2. Newton hand-held computer with EthoScribe software
3. Binoculars
4. EthoScribe User's manual (on P: drive, for reference later), or Ethoscribe "cheat sheet"
5. Excel, or other statistical software (for use after data have been collected)

Data collection:

• Today, you will collect data for an ethogram of squirrel behavior using two standard techniques for constructing time budgets. For data collection, you will work in teams of two. Each pair of investigators will check-out a Newton computer at the beginning of class for use in collecting data.Each group will also check out a pair of binoculars.
• The first objective for today is to learn how to prepare a data sheet for an ethogram of using a Newton hand-held computer with EthoScribe data collection software. We will do that as a group in class.Take time to familiarize yourself with the behavioral categories you are documenting.
• The first task is to find a squirrel on which you can practice both sampling techniques. Locate a squirrel. One person use the binoculars, the other use the Newton. Start a new trial. Spend 10 minutes doing continuous sampling. Switch roles so that the other member of the team is using the Newton. Start a new trial. Spend 10 minutes doing scan sampling. Try a 30 second interval for a few minutes. Change the timer interval and try shorter and longer periods to see what works best for you.
• After the initial trials, it is time to collect data. You will collect 15 minutes of behavioral data from 6 different squirrels. The only way to know they are different squirrels is to change locations. You make the assumption that a squirrel in the tree 100 meters away from the previous squirrel is a different squirrel.
  • Take data on 3 squirrels using continuous sampling
  • Take data on 3 squirrels using scan sampling

Data analysis:

1. Your task is to describe squirrel behavior using both methods and to compare how those methods differed in their results.
2. Use Ethoscribe's data analysis feature to analyze each individual squirrel's behavior.
3. Transfer those individual summaries to your lab notebook.
4. Use Excel to calculate average time budgets for squirrels observed using continuous sampling.
5. Use Excel to calculate average time budgets for squirrels observed using scan sampling.
6. Construct bar charts to represent average squirrel time budget using both methods.

Discussion:

• In your lab notebook, record thoughts and observations on the use of each method.
• You may have to write a lab report comparing these two methods and these two data sets, so keep good notes on what you did.
• In a later class, we will go over a statistical procedure that will allow us to test whether the two results are significantly different, or not.