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Silhouettes elicit alarm calls from captive vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops)
M M Brown1, N A Kreiter, J T Maple
1Indiana University.
Journal of Comparative Psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)
|December 1, 1992
Summary
Vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) produce distinct alarm calls in response to various stimuli. Captive vervets alarm called to predators like leopards and snakes, with silhouette presentations proving effective for eliciting vocalizations.
Area of Science:
- Primatology
- Animal Behavior
- Bioacoustics
Background:
- Vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) are known to produce alarm calls.
- Understanding the context and triggers of these vocalizations is crucial for behavioral studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze alarm calls of captive vervet monkeys.
- To investigate the types of stimuli that elicit alarm calls.
- To assess the utility of silhouette stimuli in eliciting vocalizations.
Main Methods:
- Part 1: Observation of alarm calls in response to natural stimuli (airplanes, birds, dogs).
- Part 2: Presentation of life-sized silhouettes (leopard, snake, eagle, baboon, vervet, goose) to isolated monkeys.
- Analysis of vocalizations elicited by different stimuli.
Main Results:
- Alarm calls were frequently produced by females and juveniles in response to airplanes, birds, and dogs.
- Juvenile females were the most frequent callers in Part 1.
- Adult monkeys alarm called more than juveniles in Part 2.
- Alarm calls were elicited by silhouettes of leopard, snake, baboon, and vervet.
- Leopard and snake alarm calls resembled those recorded in wild settings.
Conclusions:
- Alarm call production in vervet monkeys is stimulus-dependent.
- Silhouette stimuli are effective in eliciting species-specific alarm calls in a laboratory setting.
- This technique can be valuable for studying primate vocal communication.