gregarious animals - definition, examples and characteristics

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 18 February 2021
Update Date: 16 December 2024
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We've always heard that we humans are social animals. But are we the only ones? Are there other animals that form complex groups to survive?

In this Peritoanimal article, we invite you to meet those animals that have learned to live in society: the gregarious animals. So we will explain the definition, the types of gregarious animals and show several examples. Good reading.

what are gregarious animals

We can define animal sociability as a spectrum between two extremes: on the one hand, that of solitary animals, which only meet to mate, and that of fully social (eusocial) animals, which put their lives at the service of the collective, as is the case with bees or ants.


The gregariousness is a behavior that involves the union of animals of the same species, family or not, to live together in the same space, sharing social relationships.

Characteristics of gregarious animals

It is often argued that the sociability trait appeared in the evolutionary history of animals to favor survival. O gregariousness has many evolutionary advantages and we'll explain the most important ones below:

  • Best food: gregarious animals can get better quality food for several reasons. This can happen because they hunt in groups, like wolves (kennels lupus), since that way they can obtain bigger prey than if they hunted alone. It is also possible for a member of a group to tell others where to find food.
  • Caring for the offspring: some gregarious animals, when the breeding season arrives, share the tasks. Thus, some are in charge of looking for food, others defend the territory and others take care of the puppies. This behavior is common in the golden jackal (Aureus kennels), for example. In this species, males and females form strictly monogamous pairs, and the males of their offspring remain in the familiar territory to help the couple once they reach sexual maturity. Something similar happens with elephants: the females are grouped in herds that the males abandon when they reach sexual maturity. But within these groups of female elephants, both mothers and grandmothers care for the young.
  • Defense against predators: gregarious animals are more likely to survive predator attacks for the following reasons: On the one hand, the more group members are aware of the presence of predators, the easier it is to evade them. In other cases, because there is strength in numbers, animals can defend themselves as a group against attacks; and finally, a selfish but logical reasoning: the more members the group has, the less likely it is that the prey is itself.
  • Protection against adverse environmental conditions: in the face of extreme cold, some species, such as penguins, walk in droves to protect each other. It is also possible that the better food provided by gregariousness provides many animals with more energy to withstand the cold. Some studies show that, in certain primates, the company of individuals of the same species reduces their stress levels, which, in turn, allows them to maintain physical fitness, which is essential when facing adverse climates.

You might also be interested in this other PeritoAnimal article about the 10 loneliest animals in the world.


Types of gregarious animals

We've already seen what gregarious animals are and what the goals of this behavior are, but what kinds of gregariousness are there? The gregarious animals can be divided into different categories depending on the criteria we use to classify them. If we look, for example, at why they share their space with individuals of the same species, we can divide them into two types:

  • Intrinsic relationships: when it occurs between individuals of the same species.
  • interspecific relationships: when it occurs between individuals of different species that live in the same area only due to the location of resources, such as water and food.

It is worth mentioning that it is not common to find gregarious animals among members of the herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles), with specific exceptions, such as green iguanas (iguana iguana).


Examples of gregarious animals

Here are some examples of gregarious animals:

bees (family Apidae)

Bees are very social insects that group together in colonies organized into three social classes: worker bees, male drones and queen bees. Each of these varieties has its function:

  • worker bees: worker bees, which make up the vast majority of bees in the hive, are sterile females, responsible for cleaning and defending the hive, constructing the panels, providing food for the rest of the swarm, and storing that food.
  • drones: the drones are in charge of fertilizing the master bee.
  • Queen Bee: she is the only female sexually developed. She is in charge of reproducing, giving rise to the new generation of bees, by parthenogenesis. To do this, she lays fertilized eggs from which worker bees will hatch and unfertilized eggs which will give rise to new drones.

The aim of the bee colony is its self-maintenance and the reproduction of the queen bee.

Ants (family Anticide)

Ants form anthills organized in three castes: worker ants (usually sterile females), soldier ants (often sterile males), fertile males, and one or more fertile queens.

It is hierarchical structure may vary, as some diversification may occur: for example, there are species that do not have queens, in which case some fertile workers are in charge of reproduction. Like bees, ants cooperate and communicate to work together in an organized way for the good of the colony.

Naked mole rat (heterocephalus glaber)

The naked mole rat is a well-known eusocial mammal: like ants and bees, it is distributed in castes, one of which is specialized in reproduction, while the others are sterile. There is a queen and some males, whose function is to mate with the queen, while the other barren members dig the common tunnels in which the colony lives, look for food, care for the queen and her descendants, and defend the tunnels from possible predators.

Wolves (kennels lupus)

Despite the "lone wolf" stereotype, wolves are highly social animals. They live in organized packs with a clear social hierarchy, led by the breeding couple (whose members are popularly known as alpha male and alpha female). This pair enjoys high social status: they are tasked with resolving group fights, distributing food, and maintaining pack cohesion. When a wolf leaves the pack, it doesn't go in search of the solitude traditionally associated with this animal; he does it to find a mate, establish new territory, and create his own pack.

Wildebeest (genus Connochaetes)

Both the white-tailed wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) and the black-tailed wildebeest (Taurine Connochaetes) are highly social African cattle. They are divided into two distinct groups: on the one hand, females and their offspring come together. Males, on the other hand, form their own herd. Even so, these small groups tend to share space with each other as well as with others. ungulate animals like zebras or gazelles, with which they cooperate in locating predators and fleeing from them.

In this other article you discover other animals from Africa.

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

The colorful common bee-bee or European bee-bee is a gregarious bird of prey. It nestles in holes it creates in the walls of slopes near rivers and lakes. groups of these gregarious animals they usually nest together, so it is normal for the nest of a European Bee-eater to be accompanied by many others belonging to its conspecifics.

Flamingos (Phoenicopterus)

None of the different flamingo species is particularly solitary. they tend to be highly social, forming large groups that move together. During the breeding season, the colony finds a specific place to deposit eggs, incubate them and raise their young, which are also a great example of gregarious animals.

Ever wonder why flamingos have this striking color? In this other PeritoAnimal article, we explain why the flamigo is pink.

Golden carp (Notemigonus crysoleucas)

The golden carp is a type of fish that, like many others, aggregates with other members of the same species in schools that swim in the same direction. It is common that, during migrations, the group is led by some of the more experienced individuals.

Gorillas (genus gorilla)

Another example of gregarious animals or animals that live in groups are gorillas. Gorillas form large composite groups mostly females and young males, and led by an adult male, who decides when the herd should move, helps resolve conflicts, and is the group's main defender against predators.

Gorillas communicate with each other through sounds and visual signs, and have a rich language, with many different vocalizations. Like other primates, they learn by imitation and are very affectionate with each other. There have been several cases of mourning among gorillas when a family member or acquaintance dies.

twilight dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus)

This flashy dolphin, like most of the family Delphinidae, It's an animal highly social. Members of this species are organized into groups, which can range from 2 members to hundreds of individuals. By the way, do you know which dolphin collective? We emphasize that the Portuguese language does not register a word to define the collective of dolphins, therefore, it is wrong to call a group of dolphins a herd or shoal. According to Portuguese teacher Pasquale Neto, just say group.[1]

Going back to gray or twilight dolphins, which are also considered gregarious animals, large groups are usually formed with a common goal, whether for feeding, relocation or socialization, but often these large groups are formed by small groups of long-term associates.

You may also be interested in this other article about 10 fun facts about dolphins.

other gregarious animals

Among the animals that also live in groups, the following also stand out:

  • Elephants.
  • Golden jackals.
  • Green iguanas.
  • Giraffes.
  • Rabbits.
  • Lions.
  • Zebras.
  • Sheep.
  • Antelopes.
  • Horses.
  • Bonobos.
  • Deer.
  • Guinea pigs.
  • Gerbils.
  • Mice.
  • Parakeets.
  • Ferrets.
  • Complaints.
  • Coatis.
  • Capybaras.
  • Boars.
  • Orcas.
  • Hyenas.
  • Lemurs.
  • Meerkats.

Now that you know all about gregarious animals, don't miss the following video about the greatest animals ever found in the world:

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