Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Behavioral and Ecological Interactions of Lemurs and Raptors in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar

狐猴给科学家们提出了一个难题，试图了解他们的社会行为，因为他们不符合大多数猴子和猿的一般社会模式。 对这种差异的一种可能的解释是，马达加斯加（现代狐猴物种的家园）的捕食者比其他灵长类动物生活的地区更少，危险性也更低。轶事研究对这一假设提出了质疑，但关于捕食狐猴的系统数据很少。本研究的行为和生态的相互作用的狐猴和猛禽在Ranomafana国家公园，马达加斯加的目的是提供信息1）狐猴和昼夜猛禽之间的特定生态相互作用，和2）反捕食行为的狐猴在不同的捕食者物种。第一个问题将通过测量马达加斯加四种最大的昼夜猛禽对狐猴造成的实际死亡率来解决（Buteo brachypterus，Accipiter henstii，Polyboroides radiatus，Eutrivalis astur）。 这些猛禽中的每一个都将是巢穴观察、猎物收集和无线电跟踪研究的重点，这些研究旨在测量每种猛禽杀死的狐猴数量、死亡发生的区域以及猎物数量。 此外，两个实验将解决狐猴的行为反应，现有的捕食者公会。第一个实验涉及捕食者发声播放三种狐猴不同的身体大小：冠狐猴（Propithecus迪亚德马edwardsi），红狐猴（Eulemur fulvus rufus），和温和的狐猴（Hapalemur griseus）。 第二个实验包括暴露三个独立的组diademed狐猴模型鸟类和陆地捕食者。猛禽和狐猴数据的分析将提供一个清晰的理解猛禽捕食对狐猴的生态影响，以及狐猴捕食风险的行为反应。

Lemurs have presented a puzzle to scientists trying to understand their social behavior, because they do not conform to the general social patterns found in most monkeys and apes. One of the possible explanations for this difference assumes that Madagascar (the home of modern lemur species) has fewer and less dangerous predators than other areas where primates live. Anecdotal studies have questioned this assumption, but there are few systematic data concerning predation on lemurs. This study of the behavioral and ecological interactions of lemurs and raptors in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar is designed to provide information on 1) the specific ecological interactions between lemurs and diurnal birds of prey, and 2) anti-predator behaviors of lemurs in response to distinct predator species. The first question will be addressed by measuring the actual rate of mortality on lemurs imposed by the four largest diurnal birds of prey in Madagascar (Buteo brachypterus, Accipiter henstii, Polyboroides radiatus, Eutriorchis astur). Each of these raptors will be the focus of nest observations, prey remain collections, and radio-tracking studies designed to measure the number of lemurs killed by each raptor species, the area over which this mortality occurs, and the prey population size. In addition, two experiments will address the behavioral responses of lemurs to the existing predator guild. The first experiment involves predator vocalization play backs to three species of lemurs with varying body sizes: the diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema edwardsi), the rufous lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus), and the gentle lemur (Hapalemur griseus). The second experiment consists of exposing three independent groups of diademed sifakas to model avian and terrestrial predators. The analysis of both raptor and lemur data will provide a clear understanding of the ecological influence of raptor predation on lemurs as well as the behavioral responses of lemurs to predation risk.