Incomprehensible Animal Behaviour

[Khandro]

I'm looking for an analogy in the animal kingdom for something I'm writing. An action an animal does and seems to be important them, but remains incomprehensible to us.
I thought of beavers building dams with such determination, but I think there might be an un understandable purpose i.e. to catch fish - is that so?
Eels to the Sargasso, salmon fighting their way upstream etc. any suggestions please?

[dannyk13]

Lemmings leaping over cliffs.

[wolf63]

I think that you will find that there is a 'reason' for most actions that any animal takes. It is just that we don't understand their thought patterns and what seems bizarre behaviour is probably totally logical to them.

It all depends on how serious your masterpiece is, whether an amusing animal analogy would do?!

[andy-hughes]

dannyk13 - //Lemmings leaping over cliffs. //

Lemmings don't leap over cliffs.

This story was created by a 1958 Disney film called 'White Wilderness' where the film makers ran a number of lemmings over a cliff in order to enhance their documentary - which worked, it won an award.

However, the famous notion that lemmings 'commit suicide' has continued, even though it has no factual basis - the notion spread purely because people believed a manufactured situation on film.

[andy-hughes]

Khandro - //Eels to the Sargasso, salmon fighting their way upstream etc. //

Both these examples are acknowledged aspects of breeding behaviour so they are perfectly comprehensible.

[dannyk13]

Not suggesting they commit suicide but in their stampede to migrate they do often blindly fall over cliffs.

[Canary42]

Dogs s h i t t i n g on the pavement.

[andy-hughes]

dannyk13 - Not suggesting they commit suicide but in their stampede to migrate they do often blindly fall over cliffs. //

I refer you again to my post - the falling of lemmings was artificially created by the film makers to look like they were so intent on migrating that they had no thought of personal survival.

The concept is a myth.

[Ellipsis]

May be some good examples in here. Some of the early theories have now been discounted ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_cannibalism

[Brinjal]

Weaver birds building dozens of nests but only use one.

[Baldric]

Reference the OP!

Beavers are herbivores, as they consume bark, twigs, leaves, aquatic plants and roots.

[Prudie]

cats and dogs chasing their tails

[Khandro]

wolf;//It all depends on how serious your masterpiece is, whether an amusing animal analogy would do?!//
It's not a masterpiece, but I want to say something along the lines of;
" ... you may as well ask a ****** why it ***** "

baldric; Thanks for that, I didn't realise they were herbivores, so why do they build dams?

I think beavers are a good example then, but I want something else, for other reasons

[wolf63]

Hedgehogs rolling up to fend off oncoming traffic

Bears 5-hit it the forest

Cats are fearless when taking on huge dogs but run a mile at an approaching spider

Try googling strange animal behaviour - it would be nice if you found an analogy that was clearly understood.

:-)

[mccfluff]

murph (cat) sitting on my head grooming me every morning....

[wolf63]

Why do cats sit and stare at a blank wall for long periods of time? Or scream and coming running out of an empty room?

[chaptazbru2]

Canary, dog s h i t t i n g on pavements is not incomprehensible, the owners NOT picking it up is what is incomprehensible ! Enjoyed the chance to have a dig at dogs, did you ??

[Clanad]

Beavers(of which we hae a surplus here in the north western U.S.) are simply building homes when the build dams. The actual "lodges) they live in require an underater approcah ind entrance, hense the building of the dams first to back up the water deep enough to provide the entrances. The actual lodge can be quite large (pardon the near homophone) on the inside, accomodating 3 or 4 adults and, depending on the season numerous kits (young ones).
Our western beavers can reach 70 pounds in size and can be very destructive... they are considered pests and can be legally hunted. Though I've never tried it, some say the beaver's tail is good eating when skinned out.

Many animal's behaviours are "incomprehensible" to humans... whales beaching themselves stands out to the least understandable... as well as Sheep, goats and other such "herd" animals following one leader, which humans can redirect at will. Additionally, among other traits, why do certain dog breeds (Australian Shepherd for one) innately herd other creatures... no training needed, while other dog breeds simply ignore attempts at such training... hmmmm?

[sinderella]

mouse on a wheel?

[Chipchopper]

Something that often puzzles me is, why do grey squirrels nibble off young shoots of trees ?
They don't appear to eat them, but just let them fall to the ground.
Every year I notice the oak shoots, complete with catkins littering the ground beneath the canopy.
It seems a reasonable assumption, to me that, the more catkins/ flowers, that they nibble of in the spring, will result in fewer acorns etc to harvest later in the year.