Date for Sleeping sites use of Assamese macaques

ABSTRACT

Objectives: We investigated the sleeping site used by Assamese macaques living in Southwest Guangxi, China to examine their behavioral adaptation to limestone forests by evaluating hypotheses for predator avoidance, food proximity, and range or resource defense.

Materials and Methods: We recorded the locations of sleeping sites on a topographic map using a grid cell method methodology, and home range and forging patches via instantaneous scan sampling.

Results: Assamese macaques used 19 sleeping sites, mainly located on cliffs. They rapidly entered sleeping sites and then remained silent. They preferred reuse three sites but never used them for more than four consecutive nights. Sleeping site use was positively correlated with the number of surrounding foraging patches, but the distances between sleeping sites and the last/first feeding areas (84.16 ± 41.26 and 94.88 ± 45.83 m, respectively) were not affected by seasonal fluctuations in fruit availability; these distances were greater than those predicted under a multiple central place foraging strategy (MCPF) but smaller than those predicted under a central place foraging strategy. Assamese macaques sleep in peripheral parts of their home range as expected, and there were no conflicts with neighboring groups.

Discussion: Macaques’ sleeping site use was strongly affected by predator avoidance and proximity to food resources, but not by resource defense. The vertical distribution of sleeping sites on hills was not influenced by fruit availability. The macaques used a MCPF to maximize food harvest efficiency. Assamese macaques’ sleeping site use in limestone forests supports the hypotheses of predator avoidance and food proximity.