What can one understand by the term ‘Animal Behavior’? For you to easily understand Animal Behavior, we have put this article on The Best Books on Animal Behavior (Ethology) to Read.

Quickly Check These Amazing Ethology Books:

Well, animal behavior comprises the ways about how animals interact with other organisms and the physical environment.

In order to comprehend the behavior, we should know what causes it, how it develops in an individual, how it benefits an organism, and how it evolved.

Also, animal behavior includes how the animals interact with other members of their species, with organisms of other species, and with their environment.

animal behaviors

So, in order to understand animal behavior, you should read the below-mentioned books. I have personally found these books very helpful.

These books are not only helpful, but are also highly entertaining and informational. These books talk about dogs, bees, parrots, and cats.

Apart from giving a great insight into the lives of animals, the books also bring a beautiful account of bonds between humans and earth’s creatures.

Today, we will talk about books focusing on animal behavior. Give the following books a try, and we bet that you will love them.

Let us begin the list.

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List of 9 Best Books on Animal Behavior (Ethology) to Read

1. Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

by Temple Grandin

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Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin

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Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple GrandinA very graceful book that helps us in understanding animals. The book gives us a great insight into the lives of animals which covers a comprehensive variety of animals from the lab, and farm animals to wild animals and domestic animals such as dogs and cats.

The book is a pioneering work on animal behavior and psychology. Apart from getting to know about animals, the book tells us about human behavior. The author is autistic and she has written this from her own personal perspective.

The book is full of beautiful anecdotal stories about humans and animal behavior. The author talks about the ways that her autism gives her insight into animal behavior, genetics, and breeding practices. She not only talks about dogs but also about horses, cows, cats and chickens.

The author has applied her experiences as an autistic woman to her work with animals. The book has too many details which makes this book interesting. This is a fascinating book and for anyone who is interested in gaining insight into autism.

Important features-

  • A great insight into the lives of animals.
  • Work on animal behavior.
  • Own perspective of being autistic. Read More

2. How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication

by Stanley Coren

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How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication by Stanley Coren

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How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication by Stanley Coren — This book is a must-read for all dog owners and dog lovers. The author is a seasoned expert on canines where he offers plenty of information and personal stories regarding our animal companions. The book will give you a lot of information on how to communicate with animals in general.

The book is a fantastic book on dog behavior and will also give you techniques to deal with animals. The author beautifully answers questions such as why the dog gets excited on seeing other dogs, why is the dog constantly scratching himself, or is the dog painfully bored during the whole day?

The book is an encouraging introduction to the evolution of communication in animals. In attempt to be a better dog owner, you should start reading this book. The author’s anecdotes and evolutionary biology are fascinating. This highly entertaining, informative and enlightening book is a must-read for all the dog lovers.

Important features-

  • A book on dog behavior.
  • Gives us an encouraging introduction.
  • Enjoyable and informative book. Read More

3. Honeybee Democracy

by Thomas D. Seeley

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Honeybee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley

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Honeybee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley — Thomas D. Seeley tells us everything we want to know about one of the world’s most beneficial insects. If you have bees or are thinking about getting bees, then this book is definitely for you. It is primarily about various experiments and tests that the authors and others made involving honeybee swarms and how they act during and after the swarm.

The book is known to be the year’s most enchanting science book. It is not only engaging and entertaining book but also giving information on science. It is an astonishing story of house hunting and democratic discussion among the honeybees. It discovers how honeybees choose, encourage, choose, and unanimously move to new nests when swarming.

This educational, intriguing booklet lets us know about how bees do their apian thing. From telling us how a swarm makes a decision about the location of its new home to neuroscience and decision-making process, the author never fails to give us valuable information. Even if you do not really like bees, this book is really entertaining.

Important features-

  • A book based on bees.
  • Year’s most enchanting science book.
  • Educational and intriguing booklet. Read More

4. Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes

by Frans de Waal

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Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes by Frans de Waal

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Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes by Frans de Waal — An excellent book that is precise but eminently readable. The book is very scientific and informative without being dry and too academic. The book tells us the story of three male chimpanzees and their struggle for power. Also, the interactions between the members of this core group and the other members of the community of chimpanzees in which they were also given a great amount of attention.

The book is an account of the social interactions found at a preserve of chimps at Arnhem in the 1970s by De Wall and his team. Much of the book focuses on the dynamics of how connections are forged and broken.

 This is an informative and enthralling look at chimp among the leaders and absolutely delivers on the title with no deviation from the topic. This edition includes a heartbreaking epilogue and will definitely grab your attention. This is also a well-written and compelling reading.

Important features-

  • A scientific and informative book.
  • Gives an enthralling look at chimps.
  • Includes a compelling and heartbreaking epilogue. Read More

5. Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach

by John Alcock

Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach by John Alcock

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Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach by John Alcock  — The subject of this book is really fascinating; it tells us that all animals are essentially cleverly crafted machines. The chapters of the book are extremely gripping and the author’s approach connects all aspects of genetics, environment, and evolution to the animal’s behavior.

The book is easy to understand animal’s behavior. The author covers migration of birds a few times in the book. The direction of they fly appears to be mostly gene. Apart from birds, the book talks about the male prairie vole that wanders over a larger area to mate than the female, and thus has a larger hippocampus to map out landmarks.

In the book, there were plenty of color illustrations and pictures to get the information across which is helpful if you are a visual person, and in reality they were more the focus.

The book is full of animal behavior experiments and teaches biological concepts through them. So it is very great about focusing on real-world scenarios, then the theory and understanding of the biological mechanisms and how they work come after that.

Important features-

  • A book used for understanding animal’s behavior.
  • Full of animal behavior experiments.
  • Plenty of colorful illustrations. Read More

6. Thinking Like a Parrot: Perspectives from the Wild

by Alan B. Bond

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Thinking Like a Parrot: Perspectives from the Wild by Alan B. Bond

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Thinking Like a Parrot: Perspectives from the Wild by Alan B. Bond — There are numerous books written on endangered birds but this book is one of the best. The authors tend to have studies the lives of wild parrots over thirty years.  The book is a short but science-heavy book based on observations of wild parrots, and most types of parrots that are never turned into pets.

The author provides a readable overview of wild parrots, how both evolution and ecology have shaped the physical architecture of parrots’ extraordinarily large brains.

This book is not only about pleasing the reader’s eye but is also enhances our knowledge of the complex and intriguing lives of parrots. The book looks at the different behaviors in wild parrots and how by studying them over the past 30 years, humans have been able to better understand why the birds do what they do – and how that relates to, or can relate to, the parrots we have in our homes as companion animals.

The book is full of interesting information, some of them new or unfamiliar to those who know parrots.

Important features-

  • A book based on the lives of wild parrots.
  • Enriches our knowledge.
  • A book filled with interesting information. Read More

7. How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals

by Sy. Montgomery

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How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy. Montgomery

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How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy. Montgomery — This New York Times bestseller book is a beautiful book about life, family, loss, and love.  The author does a wonderful job of describing her feelings about encountering these animals and the wonders they taught her.

The book is basically a brief look into the fascinating life of “author, naturalist, and adventurer” Sy. Montgomery through her interactions with thirteen animals and life lessons learned from them. The book is simple enough written for children to enjoy and has enough substance to appeal to interested grownups. The author’s love and admiration for animals will win your heart.

The book is full of empathy and wisdom, which the author has received from animals she has loved over her extraordinary lifetime. She captivatingly writes about Scottish Terrier, Border Collies, emus in the Australian Outback, a pet pig, a Goliath tarantula, a white weasel, a tree, and octopuses. Through the book, we get to know that the author didn’t have the best family, but her love for animals spread to all kinds of creatures, and she explains how they helped her, and she loved them.

Important features-

  • A lovely book about life, family, loss and love.
  • Book full of understanding and knowledge.
  • A memoir including interaction with thirteen animals. Read More

8. The Soul of All Living Creatures: What Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human

by Vint Virga

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The Soul of All Living Creatures: What Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human by Vint Virga

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The Soul of All Living Creatures: What Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human by Vint Virga — This book is an educational account of the magical bonds between humans and the earth’s creatures.

The author reflects this through his entertaining writings about the animal patients he sees and the counseling he gives to zoos and wildlife facilities.

The author is a veterinarian who, due to the attention and love of human beings, has apparently entered animal psychology after seeing his beloved dog back from troubles.

The author reflects through his entertaining writing about the animal patients he has seen and the consultation he has provided to zoos and wild life facilities. The book was incredibly beautiful and thoughtful where the author delves into the inner lives of animals.

The author explains that that animals and humans are not that different. The animals tend to have their own languages, but those languages are easy to learn, if we just listen, pay attention, and take the time to learn. This book is worth reading as it helps us to seek a clearer understanding of animal’s moods.

Important features-

  • Engaging and thoughtful book.
  • Touching and Compassionate.
  • Tribute to the connection between humans and animals. Read More

9. Animal Cognition: Evolution, Behavior & Cognition

by Clive D.L. Wynne

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Animal Cognition: Evolution, Behavior & Cognition by Clive D.L. Wynne

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Animal Cognition: Evolution, Behavior & Cognition by Clive D.L. Wynne — Through this book, the author communicates intriguing facts about animal cognition. This book tells us how fascinating it can be to investigate animal minds. The author writes clearly and engages the readers.

The book gives an insightful scope into the cognitive world of animals, from considering the use of tools in birds to the dance communication system of the honey bee. This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in the behavior and training of animals.

The book includes procedures from various studies that you can modify and use with your dog or cat. The author also exaggerates animals’ mental capacities. The author clearly enjoys writing about animal cognition by using an experimental psychology approach to animal thinking.

Important features-

  • Intriguing book.
  • An insightful scope into the world of animals.
  • A book that investigates animal minds. Read More

FAQ

Conclusion

9. Ethology

The above-mentioned books remind us of the importance of animals in our lives. They tell us that animals are our companions, our comfort in times of sorrow, our friend in times of joy, our protector in times of trouble, and our family above all us. So, the mentioned books are my recommendation for the best animal behavior books.

You can refer to Wikipedia to know more about ethology/animal behavior.

You can also visit Stockholm University’s website to learn what is ethology.

The books are inspiring and passionate which teaches us how to embrace life, grow in character and morality, and also how to gain insight into what is truly valuable and precious.

All these books are pleasing and entertaining and will grab your attention. Read these books to understand animals’ behavior and their life.

If you do not find your favorite book in this article titled Best Books on Animal Behavior (Ethology) to Read you can leave the details in the comment section. We will include it in our next blog update.

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