The influence of abiotic factors on patterns of habitat use in black and gold howler monkeys living in seasonal forests in

KOWALEWSKI, M MARTIN; RAÑO, MARIANA; FERNANDEZ, VANINA A; ZUNINO, GABRIEL E

Curitiba

Congreso; XIV Congresso de Primatologia; 2011

Sociedad Brasileira de Primatologia

We evaluated the effect of day length, temperature, precipitation and humidity on the use of space of black and gold howler monkeys living in the southernmost region of any howler monkeys in South America. Our study sites are located in Northern Argentina 20 km from each other (EBCo: 27 30´ S, 58 41´ W and IB: 27 30´S, 58 41´W). EBCo is characterized by a semideciduous seasonal fragmented forest that grows along the shore of small rivers and IB (Island Brasilera) is characterized by a continuous forest on a system of island on the Parana River. We present longitudinal behavioral data on different groups of howlers ( EBCo: May 1982 - January 1984; January 2004-May 2004 and July 2004-December 2004, September 2007- February 2008; IB: December 2003-November 2004) and explore associations between variations of daily path length (DPL) and home range, and day length and temperature, precipitation and humidity variability across seasons trough Spearman correlation analyses and stepwise multiple regression. Preliminary data analyses indicates that DPL and home ranges were significantly related to monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures (p<0.05). Home ranges and DPLs decreased through winter and spring when temperatures were lower. The thermoregulatory responses and strategies of primates are important to understand how seasonality and ecological requirements act over behavioral patterns.