Journal profile · Zoology
acta ethologica
ISSN 0873-9749 · eISSN 1437-9546 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Semiannual · Founded 1999
acta ethologica: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.35; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,990; median 139 days to acceptance (60 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 22 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
acta ethologica is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Animal Behavior and Reproduction, Plant and animal studies and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, together about 40.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An Official Journal of ISPA, CRL and the Portuguese Ethological Society (SPE) The journal publishes research papers (both empirical and theoretical contributions), short communications, commentaries, reviews and book reviews as well as methods papers in the field of ethology and related disciplines, with a strong bearing on the behaviour of all animals, including humans. Special emphasis is placed on studies integrating proximate (i.e. mechanisms, development) and ultimate (i.e. function, evolution) levels in the analysis of behaviour.Aspects of particular interest include: - Adaptive plasticity of behaviour- Inter-individual and geographic variations in behaviour- Mechanisms underlying behaviour - Evolutionary processes and functions of behaviour- Comparative studies of behavioural traits- Behavioural development - Integrative approaches to the study of behaviour- Interspecific relationships, e.g. symbiosis, host-parasite relationships - Animal communication and social ethology Although descriptive ethological studies are also accepted, preference is given to experimental and field studies.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Zoology
Editor-in-chief Peter K. McGregorPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Portugal 14, United Kingdom 2, Netherlands 2, Brazil 2, Norway 2 (32 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences21.8%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.2%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science8.1%
- Animal Vocal Communication and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.9%
- Amphibian and Reptile BiologyEnvironmental Science7.5%
- Primate Behavior and EcologyPsychology5.8%
- Avian ecology and behaviorEnvironmental Science5.3%
- Marine animal studies overviewEnvironmental Science3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PsycINFOCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.35LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.38LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 28LetPub ·
- h-index
- 45OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 314OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.88OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 26.98%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 20LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 74,800Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 618 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35 | 18 | 5 |
| 2025 | 22 | 8 | 20 |
| 2024 | 21 | 9 | 44 |
| 2023 | 25 | 9 | 106 |
| 2022 | 21 | 6 | 134 |
| 2021 | 30 | 8 | 218 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
139 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 107 days – 213 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (60 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 155 days
- Sample
- 60 articles with submission and acceptance dates (61 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,990 / EUR 2,390 / GBP 2,090 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | EUR 950 / USD 1,150 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- US$ 1,150
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- commentariesacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers.Length not stated
- commentaryacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers. Short communications should not exceed 2000 words or…Length not stated
- methods paperacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers. Short communications should not exceed 2000 words or…Length not stated
- methods papersacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers.Length not stated
- original articleacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers. Short communications should not exceed 2000 words or…Length not stated
- original articlesacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers.Length not stated
- reviewacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers. Short communications should not exceed 2000 words or…Length not stated
- reviewsacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers.Length not stated
- short communicationacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers. Short communications should not exceed 2000 words or…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- short communicationsacta ethologica accepts Original Articles, Short Communications, Commentaries, Reviews, and Methods Papers.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; LLM use must be documented in the Methods section. Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
Originality and exclusivity required; publication approved by all co-authors and responsible authorities. Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Author Contribution and Competing Interest information must be provided via the submission interface. Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Editable source files required at every submission and revision. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Journal follows COPE guidelines on misconduct. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permission required for previously published figures, tables, or text passages. Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in acta ethologica, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Authors may suggest or exclude reviewers. Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semiannual
- Founded
- 1999
- ISSN
- 0873-9749
- Electronic ISSN
- 1437-9546
- Society / sponsor
- ISPA
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about acta ethologica
What CAS zone is acta ethologica in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, acta ethologica is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Behavioral Sciences / Zoology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of acta ethologica?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.35; CiteScore 2.5, h-index 45.
How long does peer review take at acta ethologica?
Based on the dates recorded on 60 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 139 days (interquartile range 107–213 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of acta ethologica?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of acta ethologica based?
Of the 32 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Portugal (14), United Kingdom (2) and Netherlands (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index acta ethologica?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, acta ethologica is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PsycINFO, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is acta ethologica open access, and what is the APC?
acta ethologica is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,990.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .