The first seven months of an infant of Alouatta guariba (Humboldt) (Primates, Atelidae): interactions and the development of behavioral patterns

Abstract

The development of the interactions of an infant primate with its mother and the other members of its social group plays a special role in the ethology and demography of the species, with consequences for their survive and their conservation. The objective of the present study is to investigate the development of an infant of Alouatta guariba (Humboldt, 1812) in the wild, its behavior and interactions during its first seven months of age, in a remnant of Araucaria Pine Forest in Paraná State, Brazil. Using the method of instantaneous scanning with 5 min intervals, a total of 46 hours and 15 minutes of direct observation (555 individual records) showed that the infant behavioral patterns during its first four months were characterized by high dependency, which decreased progressively until the appearance of typically juvenile behaviors during the remaining 3 months. The first records of feeding on solid food, tail functionality and allomaternal care were also recorded and discussed. This work contributes to an understanding of the ontogenetic development of a poorly known aspect of this species, and thus for a more understanding of the genus Alouatta Lacépède, 1799.

Interação com os pais e o uso do espaço por um infante de Alouatta fusca (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812) em cativeiro

“…em vida livre, Podgaiski e Jardim (2009) observaram que infantes de Alouatta guariba clamitans com dois a três meses de idade, apresentara apenas 6 % do tempo a uma distância de 1 m da mãe. Miranda et al (2005) também verificaram, em florestas de Araucária (Araucaria sp), a permanência de 100% do tempo de um infante Alouatta guariba (Humboldt), com um mês de vida, na região ventral da mãe.…”

“…em ambiente natural, Podgaiski e Jardim (2009) também observaram um menor contato ventral e dorsal do infante (Alouatta guariba clamitans) com a mãe em movimento, principalmente após cinco meses de idade, além de menos de 30% de contato com a mãe aos 11-12 meses de vida. Estudos de Miranda et al (2005) corroboram com resultados anteriores, onde foi constatada uma grande independência de infante de Alouatta guariba a partir do quinto mês de idade, com presença de movimentos exploratórios e distantes da mãe.…”

“…Com o passar do tempo, o infante progressivamente inicia independência da mãe, adquirindo vantagens biológicas e psicológicas importantes, por exemplo, familiaridade com seu meio físico e social. além do cuidado materno, investimentos paternos e outras formas de cuidado podem estar presentes em várias espécies dependendo de seus sistemas sociais (Miranda et al 2005).…”

Primatology in southern Brazil: a transdisciplinary approach to the conservation of the brown-howler-monkey Alouatta guariba clamitans (Primates, Atelidae)

“…Seasonality in southern Brazil offers particular conditions for primatological research, which has generated, for example, interesting results on biogeography (BICCA-MARQUES, 1990;PRINTES et al, 2001;CODENOTTI et al, 2002;KOEHLER et al, 2005; and on behavioral and ecological plasticity in these extreme climates (PRATES et al, 1990b;JARDIM & OLIVEIRA, 2000;MIRANDA et al, 2004.;MIRANDA et al, 2005).…”

“…Since the beginnings of primatology in southern Brazil, several studies have examined behavior and ecology in A. g. clamitans (PRATES et al, 1990a;JARDIM & OLIVEIRA, 2000;MIRANDA et al, 2004;MIRANDA et al, 2005) and Alouatta caraya (BICCA-MARQUES, 1992;. In the past decade, primatologists have given increasing attention to the severe habitat fragmentation and the ways in which it impacts the primate populations (PRINTES, 1999;RIBEIRO & BICCA-MARQUES, 2005;AGUIAR et al, 2007;SILVA & CODENOTTI, 2007).…”