Within-Population Variations in Home Range Use and Food Patch Use of Japanese Macaques: A Perspective of Intergroup Hostility

Abstract

Behavioral mechanisms of intergroup feeding competition remain unclear, despite its importance as a benefit of group living. Japanese macaques in the coastal and highland forests of Yakushima, Japan, are ideal study subjects because the intensity of intergroup feeding competition differs without phylogenetic effects. We aimed to test whether macaques modify home range use and food patch use in response to the location-specific risk of intergroup encounters. Using behavioral data from 3 groups, we examined the border avoidance and the effects of food patch location on food patch use. All 3 groups used the border less frequently than expected from its area. In the coastal forest characterized by frequent intergroup aggression, the smaller subordinate group, not the larger dominant group, increased the number of co-feeding individuals along the border. This response might reduce the potential costs of intergroup aggression. Feeding duration in one patch, visual scanning, and co-feeding with adult males did not depend on food patch location for the 2 groups. In contrast, the highland group did not modify food patch use along the border owing to the low risk of intergroup encounters. Our results highlight the importance of intergroup hostility as a social factor affecting animal behavior.

Current distribution of two species of Chinese macaques (Macaca arctoides and Macaca thibetana) and the possible influence of climate change on future distribution

“…Large‐scale hydrothermal conditions (incorporating temperature and precipitation) are essential for determining species distribution. Limiting factors include deforestation, hunting, group size, sex ratio, competition, food habits, and resource availability which are directly related to species distribution (Jiang et al, 2020; Kurihara & Hanya, 2015, 2018). In recent years, many previously destroyed forests have been restored, and the decline in hunting has had a positive effect on the populations of many endangered species and increased their distribution (Luo et al, 2015; Ruan & Huang, 2014; X. Zhao et al, 2019).…”

Estimating encounter location distributions from animal tracking data

“…For example, while many species occupy home ranges with undefended boundaries, others maintain actively defended territories (Powell, 2000). In species with intense and potentially lethal intergroup competition, individuals tend to avoid areas near territorial boundaries, where they are likely to encounter neighbouring individuals (Mech & Harper, 2002;Sillero-Zubiri & Macdonald, 1998;Wrangham, Wilson & Hauser, 2007), and are more alert when moving through these locations (Kurihara & Hanya, 2018;Tórrez-Herrera et al, 2020;Wrangham, Wilson, et al, 2007). Indeed, Moorcroft et al (1999) showed how individual coyotes' (Canis latrans) avoidance of areas with a high probability of encountering the scent marks of individuals from neighbouring pair of individuals with a hard territorial border between their home ranges; and…”

Estimating encounter location distributions from animal tracking data

“…For example, while many species occupy home ranges with undefended boundaries, others maintain actively defended territories (Powell, 2000). In species with intense and potentially lethal inter-group competition, individuals tend to avoid areas near territorial boundaries, where they are likely to encounter neighbouring individuals (Sillero-Zubiri & Macdonald, 1998;Mech & Harper, 2002;Wrangham et al, 2007a,b), and are more alert when moving through these locations (Wrangham et al, 2007b;Kurihara & Hanya, 2018;Tórrez-Herrera et al, 2020).…”