Hunting strategies in wild common marmosets are prey and age dependent

Abstract

We investigated the hunting strategies of wild common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to determine whether the strategies differed among animals of different age classes and/or prey type. The study was conducted in a fragment of Atlantic Rain Forest, situated 40 km from Recife (PE/Brazil). Twenty-seven individuals from four social groups were observed. Captured prey items were divided into three categories. The hunting strategies of the common marmosets were ranked into four categories. The acquisition of larger prey (items more than 2.0 cm) involved the appropriate body movements and postures that concealed the approaching marmosets, whereas the acquisition of smaller prey (items under 2.0 cm) involved less concealing behaviors. Furthermore, adults and juveniles (age ≥ 5 months) were more capable of capturing larger prey than were younger (1-2 months) or older infants (3-4 months). Although older infants were successful in capturing certain prey, they often failed when they attempted to capture larger prey that jumped and/or used flight to escape. The results suggest that both the experience of the monkeys and escape behavior of the prey affect predation efficiency in wild common marmosets.