Lesser spot-nosed monkeys coordinate alarm call production with associated Campbell’s monkeys
Abstract
Forest monkeys often form semi-permanent mixed-species associations to increase group-size related anti-predator benefits without corresponding increases in resource competition. In this study, we analysed the alarm call system of lesser spot-nosed monkeys, a primate that spends most of its time in mixed-species groups while occupying the lowest and presumably most dangerous part of the forest canopy. In contrast to other primate species, we found no evidence for predator-specific alarm calls. Instead, males gave one general alarm call type (‘kroo’) to three main dangers (i.e., crowned eagles, leopards and falling trees) and a second call type (‘tcha-kow’) as a coordinated response to calls produced in non-predatory contexts (‘boom’) by associated male Campbell’s monkeys. Production of ‘kroo’ calls was also strongly affected by the alarm calling behaviour of male Campbell’s monkeys, suggesting that male lesser spot-nosed monkeys adjust their alarm call production to another species’ vocal behaviour. We discuss different hypotheses for this unusual phenomenon and propose that high predation pressure can lead to reliance on other species vocal behaviour to minimise predation.
Citation
Le Floch , A , Bouchard , A , Gallot , Q & Zuberbühler , K 2021 , ' Lesser spot-nosed monkeys coordinate alarm call production with associated Campbell’s monkeys ' , Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology , vol. 75 , no. 8 , 112 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-021-03053-w
Publication
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1432-0762Type
Journal article
Description
Open Access funding provided by Université de Neuchâtel. The Taï Monkey Project has been partially funded by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (#310030_185324; #31003A_166458). ALF has been supported by a Willy Müller Award from the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire and the University of Neuchâtel. AB and QG have been funded by the University of Neuchâtel and the Swiss National Science Foundation (#31003A_166458). KZ is supported by ‘NCCR Evolving Language’, Swiss National Science Foundation Agreement #51NF40_180888.Collections
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