Moving in a Miombo: Ranging Patterns and Habitat Use in Red-Tailed Monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) From the Issa...

Area of Science:

• Primate Ecology
• Paleoanthropology
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• Guenons serve as models for primate adaptability in varied habitats, mirroring hominin evolutionary pressures.
• Understanding habitat use in mosaic landscapes is crucial for primate conservation and evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) utilization of riparian forests and miombo woodlands in Tanzania.
• Assess seasonal impacts on core area sizes and spatial overlap.
• Determine if woodland use correlates with daily path lengths (DPL) or specific food resources.

Main Methods:

• Kernel density estimates (2016-2023) for core area and overlap analysis.
• Linear regressions to link woodland use with DPL.
• Logistic regression to associate food categories with woodland use.

Main Results:

• No significant seasonal variation in core area sizes or overlaps between forests and woodlands.
• A trend of lower DPLs on days with increased woodland use.
• Bark, flowers, and unripe fruit consumption increased woodland use likelihood; ripe fruit favored forests.

Conclusions:

• Red-tailed monkeys dynamically use the vegetation matrix, demonstrating behavioral flexibility.
• Dietary factors significantly influence habitat selection between forests and woodlands.
• This adaptability is relevant to understanding Plio-Pleistocene hominin responses to landscape changes.