Behavioral Responses to Ancestral Predators in Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) on Misali Island, Tanzania
Class Year
2020
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2019
Department 1
Center for Global Education
Abstract
The success of a species depends largely on their ability to recognize and respond to predatory cues. These responses can be controlled through genetic or social factors. This study aimed to assess the ability of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) to identify and respond to ancestral predatory cues following long-term isolation on Misali Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania in order to determine if anti-predator behaviors are innate or learned. This was accomplished through exposure of troops to auditory predator cues and the documentation of their behavioral responses. The results of these trials suggest that predator recognition is an innate behavior in C. pygerythrus, as seen through increased levels of vigilance and agitation.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Hanna, Isabelle R., "Behavioral Responses to Ancestral Predators in Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) on Misali Island, Tanzania" (2019). Student Publications. 748.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/748
Comments
Written for the SIT Tanzania-Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management program.