Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

The influence of live-capture on the risk perceptions of habituated samango monkeys

Nowak, K.; Richards, S.; le Roux, A.; Hill, R.A.

The influence of live-capture on the risk perceptions of habituated samango monkeys Thumbnail


Authors

K. Nowak

S. Richards

A. le Roux



Abstract

Live-capture of animals is a widely used technique in ecological research, and previously trapped individuals often respond to traps with either attraction or avoidance. The effects of trapping on animals’ risk perception are not often studied, although nonlethal effects of risk can significantly influence animals’ behavior and distribution. We used a combination of experimental (giving-up densities: GUDs) and behavioral (vigilance rates) measures to gauge monkeys’ perceived risk before and after a short livetrapping period aimed at ear-tagging monkeys for individual recognition as part of ongoing research. Two groups of arboreal samango monkeys, Cercopithecus albogularis schwarzi, showed aversion to capture in the form of generalized, group-level trap shyness after 2 individuals per group were cage trapped. We predicted that trapping would increase monkeys’ antipredatory behavior in trap vicinity and raise their GUDs and vigilance rates. However, live-capture led to no perceptible changes in monkeys’ use of space, vigilance, or exploitation of experimental food patches. Height above ground and experience with the experiment were the strongest predictors of monkeys’ GUDs. By the end of the experiment, monkeys were depleting patches to low levels at ground and tree heights despite the trapping perturbation, whereas vigilance rates remained constant. The presence of cage traps, reintroduced in the final 10 days of the experiment, likewise had no detectable influence on monkeys’ perceived risk. Our findings, consistent for both groups, are relevant for research that uses periodic live-capture to mark individuals subject to long-term study and more generally to investigations of animals’ responses to human interventions.

Citation

Nowak, K., Richards, S., le Roux, A., & Hill, R. (2016). The influence of live-capture on the risk perceptions of habituated samango monkeys. Journal of Mammalogy, 97(5), 1461-1468. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw083

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 26, 2016
Online Publication Date May 21, 2016
Publication Date Sep 27, 2016
Deposit Date Mar 16, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Mammalogy
Print ISSN 0022-2372
Electronic ISSN 1545-1542
Publisher American Society of Mammalogists
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 97
Issue 5
Pages 1461-1468
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw083

Files

Accepted Journal Article (641 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Mammalogy following peer review. The version of record Nowak, K., Richards, S., le Roux, A. & Hill, R. A. (2016). The influence of live-capture on the risk perceptions of habituated samango monkeys. Journal of Mammalogy, 97(5): 1461-1468 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw083.





You might also like



Downloadable Citations