Abstract
Primates require secure sleeping sites for periods of rest, but despite their importance, the characteristics of desired sleeping sites are poorly known. Here we investigated the sleeping ecology of a radio-collared population of the Sambirano mouse lemur, Microcebus sambiranensis, during the nonreproductive season in the Anabohazo forest, northwestern Madagascar. We also investigated their ranging behavior and examined the spatial distribution of sleeping sites within the home ranges of the collared individuals. We took measurements of the sleeping tree’s physical characteristics and recorded the number of collared individuals using each sleeping site. We found that M. sambiranensis generally use foliage sleeping sites more frequently than tree holes and individuals slept more frequently in densely foliated trees than in sparsely foliated trees, often alone. We observed no significant differences in home range size or nightly travel distance between males and females; however, home ranges were smaller than those described for other mouse lemur species. Finally, we found that M. sambiranensis sleep peripherally and forage centrally within their home ranges, a behavior not previously described for mouse lemurs. Our results indicate profound differences in the social organization between M. sambiranensis and other mouse lemur species described in the literature, suggesting species-specificity in mouse lemur ecology. Understanding the sleeping ecology and ranging behavior of mouse lemurs is of great importance to their conservation, as these data facilitate the planning of long-term reforestation, habitat management, and population assessment.
Highlights
Secure sleeping sites can be critical for the survival of primates, as they are highly vulnerable to predation (Radespiel et al 2003; Rode et al 2013; Seiler et al 2013a)
We found 27 tree species used as sleeping sites, of which Macphersonia gracilis, Macarisia lanceolata, Sorindeia madagascariensis, Diospyros sp., Mammea punctata, and Ficus tiliaefolia were used most frequently (Table I)
Our results indicate that our study population used a number of different tree species as sleeping sites, and of those species Macphersonia gracilis, Macarisia lanceolata, Sorindeia madagascariensis, Diospyros sp., Mammea punctata, and
Summary
Secure sleeping sites can be critical for the survival of primates, as they are highly vulnerable to predation (Radespiel et al 2003; Rode et al 2013; Seiler et al 2013a). As well as possibly providing a means of protection from predators, tree holes and enclosed foliage nests provide thermal insulation for nocturnal primate species that enter daily or seasonal torpor (Schmid 1998). Sleeping sites and their availability have been suggested to influence ranging behavior (Anderson 2000). Knowledge of the physical characteristics and usage patterns of sleeping sites is limited to a small number of primate species, despite their potential importance for the survival of these animals (Lutermann et al 2010)
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