Behavioral Isolation

Behavioral isolation is important because it prevents one species from breeding with another species. Observations of complete courting behavior and mating of cheetahs in the wild are very rare. In one study, mating was never observed in 10 years of investigation. However, we can make some assumptions about cheetahs from breeding studies of other animals. First, their basic courting behavior is similar to other cats. Second, we know that breeding behavior within a species is often highly ritualized and there are distinct differences between closely related species. The differences may be subtle--often not noticeable by casual observers--but not to the breeding animals. If a particular breeding sequence is altered in anyway, breeding does not occur. We can only assume that there are enough differences in breeding behavior of the cheetah so that it cannot breed with the lions and leopards that are found in the same environment with cheetahs.

• Name other examples in animals where differences in behavior prevent similar organisms from breeding.