Aggressive Bite
Mouse Ethogram > Active Behaviors > General Activity > Agonistic Interactions > Aggressive Behaviors > Aggressive Bite
Overview and Meaning
Aggressive bite is one of the aggressive behaviors which typify escalated aggression. Aggressive bite often begins the aggressive interaction, which either ends with submission or increases it if fighting results.
Description
This behavior usually directly follows an attack movement. The teeth grip the skin, and the head is pulled back sharply. Typically the bite causes no damage to the recipient and is often directed toward the tail or rump of the recipient.
Classification
Contexts
Agonistic interactions can occur in the context of territorial behavior and/or dominance behavior. Territorial behavior and dominance behavior differ in the context that they occur, the resources under competition, and the threat behavior that initiates the interaction.
Variants
None
Aggressive bite is part of
Aggressive Behaviors
These behaviors are characteristic of escalated aggression, and consist of:
Aggressive behaviors are part of
Agonistic Interactions
The full behavior chain consists of:
Agonistic interactions occur to assert territory or dominance. This can proceed as either mediated aggression or escalated aggression, differentiated by the absence or presence of aggressive behaviors.
Stanford Department of Comparative Medicine presents
A Comprehensive Ethogram of the Laboratory Mouse
