Multiple antipredator behaviors in wild red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) groups reveal spatially distinct landscapes of fear

Lillian J Fornof, Fiona A Stewart and Alex K Piel

Behavioral Ecology, 2023, vol. 34, issue 4, 528-538

Abstract: Foraging opportunity and predation risk act as opposing influences on an animal’s habitat use. “Landscapes of fear” (LOF), whereby one predicts the spatial distribution of predators or perceived predator presence using prey responses, are an important tool for modeling this conflict. LOF models examining perceived predation risk are often generated using a single behavioral metric, even though individuals can respond to predation pressure with multiple potential behaviors. Here, we expanded traditional LOF approaches by measuring three antipredator behaviors in wild red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius): aggregation, alarm calling, and vigilance. We predicted that each behavior would reveal spatially explicit regions of high risk, as each behavior may attend to different aspects of perceived predation risk. The use of different behaviors may depend upon factors such as vegetation type, age/sex class of an individual, and which other antipredator behaviors are being exhibited by group members. We collected data on two troops of monkeys in the Issa Valley, Tanzania for over 19 months and conducted 3189 group follows. We found that vegetation type varied in its effect on antipredator behavior. Monkeys conducted more antipredator behavior in more open vegetation types compared to more closed, riparian forests. The LOF models generated for each behavior mapped distinct and predominantly non-overlapping spatial regions of perceived predation risk, which was replicated across the two groups. This suggested that monkeys responded differently across their home range to specific perceived risks. Such spatially explicit behavior may indicate vegetation-specific predation risk or unique trade-offs in antipredator behavior throughout a heterogenous habitat.

Keywords: aggregation; alarm calling; Issa Valley; Tanzania; perceived predation risk; Riparian forest; vigilance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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