Research On Behavior Strategy Of A Provisioned Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey Group

Animal behavior strategy is an important aspect of animal behavior research.Yunnan snub-nosed monkey(Rhinopithecus bieti)is a group living primate,and social behavior is frequent and complicated for this species.Study was performed on a provisioning monkey group at Xiangguqing in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve from July 2012 to June 2013.All occurrence sampling and focal animal sampling are used to record the migration behavior,allogrooming,aggressive-submissive,mating behavior of individuals of R.bieti.To ascertain R.bieti migration strategy and mechanism,and to examine the priority occupy resources-female higher hierarchy preferences hypothesis function,and to discuss behavior strategy of R.to respond tourism disturbance.The results of the study are as follows:We recorded 81 individuals and 13 one male unit(OMU)from 2013 to 2016.During the research,observed 42-60 individuals(mean=47.33±4.63,n=24)which consisted of 5-9OMUs(mean=6.63±1.24,n=24).We observed 60 individuals transferred between OMU and all male unit(AMU)or disappeared in 96 transfer event.All events,adult female transferred 12,adult male 19,sub-adult female 25,sub-adult male 2,juvenile female 17,juvenile male 17,and 4 infants transferred with their mother.We recorded 38 male transferred(4 natal migration and 34 secondary migration)four years,and in the 34 secondary migration event,8 male individuals got the unit.Four years,recorded female migration 54 times,8 female individuals were born after migration.Multiple migration recorded about 18 individual in 4 years.Study found that separate individuals migration events 27 times(males 11 times,female 16)in the 49 times migration events(96 cases).Common migration 22 times(common migration individual number interval: 2-10,mean=3.36±2.08,n=22).12 adult female and 25 sub-adult female migration were recorded in four years,in which 7 adult females and 5 sub-adult female were successful reproduction after transfer.Adult female reproductive success after onset of the migration probability,the reproductive rate of adult female was significantly greater than the sub-adult females(Fisher's exact test,P <0.05).Individual migration was ubiquity in animals for high fitness.We tested for sub-adult female migration in the black snub-nosed monkey(R.bieti),which has a polygamous society dynamic.We explored the strategic use of mating frequency and grooming reciprocity as the contrastive tool in provisioning R.bieti in southwestern of China.O ur results show that the sub-adult female migration was a way to avoidance of inbreeding and a pathway of choice for the high benefits of mating and grooming.Specifically immigration sub-adult females received more mating frequency(Mann–Whitney U-tests: LK,DS vs LB U=4 P<0.01,DB vs LB,U=13 P<0.05,HD vs LB U=8 P<0.01;CF,Fm U=39 P<0.05)and grooming benefit(Mann–Whitney U-tests: LK's,LB OMU vs DS OMU U=7,P<0.01,LB OMU vs DB OMU U=7,P<0.01;CF's LB OMU vs HD OUM U=3 P<0.01)in the incumbent OMU than in the predecessors OMU.our results suggest that sub-adult female R.bieti natal emigration was a way of avoid inbreeding,after natal migration,the frequent breeding emigration was a strategy fashion to obtain more mating resources and grooming services in order to improve themselves fitness.Dominance hierarchies are the results of long-time evolution for group living primates,which were widely noticed for the researches of animal behavioral ecology.We studied the dominance hierarchy for 8 OMUs and females rank in 5 OMUs within a group of provisioned R.bieti in Baimaxueshan National Nature Reserve via focus animal sampling from August 2015 to July 2014.We analyzed aggressive-submissive behaviors and feeding superiorities among six OMUs.The results shown that the ra nk order for each OMU is lineal,which were(HD OMU>DGZ OMU>HL OMU>LB OMU>XS OMU>DS OMU>LHG OMU> DB OMU),and the females rank were: HD OMU,XH> ML> LY > CF > LX> ED;DGZ OMU,DYB > XM > BM;HL OMU,ED > BB >LJ >BM;LB OMU,BYD > LK >CF;XS OMU,BM > LK > EY > EB?Additionally,analysis found that female R.bieti social hierarchy was not strict,each unit rank gradient was Ks(HD)=-0.29;Ks(DGZ)=-0.23;Ks(HL)=-0.21;Ks(LB)=-0.17;Ks(XS)=-0.41?The results accord with the Priority occupy resources-female higher hierarchy preferences hypothesis.This study suggested that OMUs' dominance hierarchy was related to the number of females in OMU(Spearman correlation test:R=0.815,P<0.05).At the same times,females rank also related to the grooming receipts(Spearman correlation test:RHD=0.886,P<0.05;RDGZ=0.999,P<0.05;RHL=0.981,P<0.05;RLB=0.998,P<0.05;RXS=0.98,P<0.05).Primate tourism is rapidly growing in C hina.However,the appearence of tourists bring about the behavioral changes for some primates.To correctly understand primate behavioral responses for human activities that can reflect their survival strategy.Little is known about how behavior strategy of snub-nosed monkeys(R.bieti)for tourists.This study provides the first detailed description on interactions between R.bieti and tourists based on a provisioning monkey group at Xiangguqing in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve from July 2012 to June 2013.We found that tourist showed five actions(Shout,Photograph,Offer food,C lap and Wave)for R.bieti,and they have different response rates to human actions(Shout 45.43%,Photograph 3.63%,O ffer food 39.34%,C lap 17.52%,Wave 10.83%).Behavioral response rates of R.bieti for human actions were significantly different(Chi-square distribution,?2=54.24,df=4,P<0.01).We found that R.bieti express 10 behavioral reactions(Threat,Escape,Vigilance,Warning,Panic,Alliance,Attack,Foraging,Approach,Staring)for tourists action.On the whole,unfriendly or hostile actions accounted for 84.04%,neutral behaviors were 1.8% and affiliation behaviors were 14.16%,and the analysis showed three activity categories was significantly different(Kruskal-Wallis test,x2=93.342,df=2,P<0.01).Meanwhile,our study suggested that these variations in behavioral responses were significantly different among the different age/sex classes.Immature presented more affiliation behaviors than adult individuals,and adult males were trended to more hostile behaviors(Threat and Vigilance).To sum up,R.bieti showed a certain extent behavioral tension and adaptability for tourist actions.So the scientific management and the civilized tourist behavior are important to protect the animals of suffering from tourism disturbance.