Behavior Development Of Infant Among Sichuan Snub-nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus Roxellana) In Qinling Mountains

With focal animal sampling and all-occurrence recording methodes we chose five individuals to collect the data on the development of behaviors in infant Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in the Zhouzhi National Nature Reserve of the Qinling Mountains from March 2003 to May 2004. The results showed that infants behavior development of this species were slower in wild field than in capture: Infants were observed to climb out in 23 days old firstly and feed food at 5 months old and followed their family to move at 6 months old. We divided infant behavior development into five stages: dependence period, exploration period, socialization period, adaption period and gradual independence period.Behaviors of Sucking and feeding in infant were influenced by temperature and food. The sucking behavior of infant had a change process: sucking with mother's help, sucking freely, sucking under chance and sucking by force. In the same way, the feeding behavior had a development process: observing to feed, imitating to feed, throwing themselves into feeding, trying their best to feed and robbing foods.The behaviors of social play had a development process from simpleness to complexity, from strength to skill. The infants began to exhibit social play behavior at 3 months of age. The time of social play was not positive correlation ( Correlation, r=0.1038 , p=0.265>0.05).The social play was influenced by the months of age , the temperature and the mother's experience in infant golden monkeys. Infants had preference in choosing their play partners(x~2=57.404, df=5, p<0.001). they tended to play with the individuals who had similar age, force and size.When it comes to the mean time allocation on different locations from birth to twelve months old, we found that infants mainly slept and rested in their mother arms 57.83%(49-74%); they moved and played on the branch 27.17%(8-38%); they stayed allomother's arms 8.75% (4-18%); infant golden monkey spent less time on ground6.25%(0-12%) respectively.