Activity budgets in a group of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys in Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China

Abstract

Abstract We examined time allocation by Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus roxellana in the montane, temperate and highly seasonal forests of the Shennongjia Nature Reserve in China, in order to improve our understanding of the ecological and social influences on monkey behavior. We collected data on activity budgets in relation to food availability in a group of monkeys from July 2003 to September 2004 (except February 2004), using instantaneous scan samples. The monkeys spent 36.21% of daytime moving (n = 2l, 269 records), 24.39% foraging, 9.33% inactive, 11.7% performing social behaviors, and 18.38% performing other behaviors. There were seasonal and annual variations in the proportions of time devoted to some activities. These variations were largely attributed to seasonal or annual fluctuations in the distribution and quality of food resources. Adult males spent more time moving, searching, and displaying other behaviors' but less time feeding and performing social behaviors than adult females. Adults performed other behaviors more often and moving less often than juveniles. These differences in activity budgets may reflect fundamental differences in reproductive biology, parental investment, and development among the different age/sex classes.