Definitions for "Sign stimulus"
The single stimulus, or one out of a very few stimuli, by which an animal distinguishes key objects, such as an enemy, or a mate, or a place to nest, etc.
Particular subset of features or qualities of a natural stimulus or complex environmental cues sufficient to elicit a behavioural response. (e.g., FAP) via a releasing mechanism The stimulus to which a specific reaction pattern is tuned. Examples include the red spot on the beak of a herring gull, which evokes a pecking response from nestlings (which in turn prompts the parent to regurgitate food for the young); the size, colour, and degree of speckling of eggs vary the effectiveness as sign stimuli for the egg-rolling behaviour; Toads have particular sensitivity to small objects (potential prey items) moving in their visual field, and also to large objects (potential predators) moving in their visual field. see also Stimulus
a cue that enables animals, including humans, to communicate, hunt, feed, avoid predators, and learn certain behaviours