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. It is regarded as a social act when 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 both the context that they occur, the resources under competition, and the threat behavior that initiates the interaction.
Variants
None