Process / pipelineObservational Technique
Focal Animal Sampling
Focal Animal Sampling (FAS) is a systematic observational method in which an observer focuses on one individual animal at a time, recording its behavior continuously or at regular intervals for a fixed period. Introduced by Jeanne Altmann in 1974, FAS provides detailed, quantitative ethograms of individual behavior, making it essential for studying animal behavioral ecology, welfare, and responses to environmental changes.
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Sources
- Altmann, J. (1974). Observational study of behavior: sampling methods. Behaviour, 49(3-4), 227-267. DOI: 10.1163/156853974X00534 ↗
- Martin, P., & Bateson, P. P. (1993). Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. link ↗
- Lehner, P. N. (1996). Handbook of Ethological Methods (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. link ↗