Risk perception of vervet monkeys Chlorocebus pygerythrus to humans in urban and rural environments

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F18%3A10390407" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/18:10390407 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.011" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.011</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.011" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.011</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Risk perception of vervet monkeys Chlorocebus pygerythrus to humans in urban and rural environments

Original language description

Like other animals, primates respond to predation using behavioural adaptations. Hence, they should optimise their escape strategy under the risk of predation, and flee at a distance, referred to as flight initiation distance (FID), when the fitness-related benefits of staying are balanced against the costs of escape. However, there is an absence of FID studies in primates. In this study, we used vervet monkeys Chlorocebus pygerythrus, a medium-sized African cercopithecoid, as a model species to investigate the influence of environment type (urban and rural), group size (defined as the number of visible neighbours), sex and age on FID when approached by a human. We found significantly shorter FID among urban than rural monkeys; urban individuals delayed their escape compared to rural individuals. We found no relationship between FID and sex and age class, but FID was positively correlated with group size in both settings; urban monkeys live in smaller groups than monkeys in rural areas. As FID and group size are important predictors of predation risk perception in primates, results suggest that, despite probable effects of habituation, vervet monkeys in Uganda adjust their antipredator behaviour when coping with novel environments within human settlements. Our findings are consistent with some previous studies of risk perception in animals, and indicate that FID could be used as an alternative measure for predation risk in primates.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10613 - Zoology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GB14-36098G" target="_blank" >GB14-36098G: Center for tropical biology</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Behavioural Processes

ISSN

0376-6357

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

147

Issue of the periodical within the volume

February

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

7

Pages from-to

21-27

UT code for WoS article

000423645400004

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85038816227