Any action of an animal intended to injure an opponent or prey animal or to cause an opponent to retreat.
Aggression may be caused by various stimuli. Within its own group, an animal must display aggressive postures to maintain its position within the hierarchy (e.g., the pecking order of chickens). A threat by itself, as in ruffled feathers or teeth revealed in a snarl, is usually sufficient to maintain an already-established social order. Aggression often occurs just before mating season, when males win their choice of females and territories.