Variation in behavioral and hormonal responses of adult male gray-cheeked mangabeys (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lophocebus albigena</Emphasis>) to crowned eagles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Stephanoaetus coronatus</Emphasis>) in Kibale National Park,Uganda |
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Authors: | Malgorzata E Arlet Lynne A Isbell |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;(2) Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;(3) Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA |
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Abstract: | Intensive study of arboreal forest-dwelling primates and their predators in Africa is increasingly revealing that crowned
eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) are major predators of primates. Gray-cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena) are overrepresented in the diets of crowned eagles in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and adult male mangabeys are represented
more than females. We focused on the behavior of adult male gray-cheeked mangabeys living in social groups in Kibale National
Park (1) to clarify the interactions between mangabeys and eagles that might put adult males at greater risk and (2) to better
understand individual variation in behavioral responses to predators. Adult male mangabeys in five groups responded to observer-confirmed
presence of crowned eagles 88 times over a 13-month period. While all males gave alarm calls, only the highest-ranking male
in each of four groups chased eagles. These males had elevated levels of fecal cortisol metabolites in the days immediately
after they engaged in active defense, suggesting that they perceived such behavior as risky. In the one group where male ranks
were unstable and there were no infants, no male was observed to chase eagles. We suggest that males pursue the dangerous
tactic of chasing eagles only when they are likely to have offspring in the group. Males in larger groups also spent less
time alarm calling to crowned eagles (from first to last call in a group), and our observations confirmed that the duration
of their alarm calls was related to eagle presence. Thus, eagles spent less time around larger mangabey groups. Alarm calling
by adult male mangabeys may signal to this ambush predator that it has been detected and should move on. |
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Keywords: | Predator– prey strategies Alarm call Active defense Fecal cortisol |
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