The predator-sensitive foraging behaviour of free-living Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi) at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar.
Date
2009-04-29T20:18:23Z
Authors
Prew, Jennifer Danielle Bernadette
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Abstract
I studied the influence of microhabitat on the predator-sensitive foraging (PSF) of Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi) at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar from June 11, 2007 to August 10, 2007. Three groups of sifaka from a gallery, closed-canopy forest, a riverine forest, and the spiny/scrub forest were observed. PSF was assessed by measuring the spatial location, spatial cohesiveness, and rate of vigilance, vocal, and non-vocal alarm behaviour of foraging sifaka. While there were statistically significant between-group differences in the spatial location (i.e., terrestrial, low-, mid- and high-canopy) used while foraging, there were no statistically significant inter-group differences in spatial cohesiveness, terrestrial or aerial vigilance, or in the frequency of vocal (i.e., terrestrial and aerial calls) or non-vocal (i.e., gestural) alarms. Thus, it appears that the PSF of free-living Verreaux’s sifaka is largely uninfluenced by variation in microhabitat.
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Keywords
sifaka, habitat, feeds, behavior