Development of Snake‐Directed Antipredator Behavior by Wild White‐Faced Capuchin Monkeys: II. Influence of the Social Environment

Abstract

Young animals are known to direct alarm calls at a wider range of animals than adults. If social cues are safer and/or more reliable to use than asocial cues for learning about predators, then it is expected that the development of this behavior will be affected by the social environment. Our study examined the influence of the social environment on antipredator behavior in infant, juvenile, and adult wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) at Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve in Costa Rica during presentations of different species of model snakes and novel models. We examined (a) the alarm calling behavior of the focal animal when alone versus in the vicinity of conspecific alarm callers and (b) the latency of conspecifics to alarm call once the focal animal alarm called. Focal animals alarm called more when alone than after hearing a conspecific alarm call. No reliable differences were found in the latencies of conspecifics to alarm call based on age or model type. Conspecifics were more likely to alarm call when focal individuals alarm called at snake models than when they alarm called at novel models. Results indicate (a) that alarm calling may serve to attract others to the predator's location and (b) that learning about specific predators may begin with a generalized response to a wide variety of species, including some nonthreatening ones, that is winnowed down via Pavlovian conditioned inhibition into a response directed toward specific dangerous species. This study reveals that conspecifics play a role in the development of antipredator behavior in white-faced capuchins.

Crying Tapir: The Functionality of Errors and Accuracy in Predator Recognition in Two Neotropical High-Canopy Primates

“…Increase in alarmcalling to potential aerial predators after the birth of infants has been recorded for S. mystax and S. fuscicollis [Heymann, 1990]. As conspecifics play an important role in the development of antipredator behaviour in primates and other taxa [Griffin, 2004;Meno et al, 2013], we believe that such extended reactions to the presence of true predators [Barnett et al, 2011;Lenz and dos Reis, 2011;Mourthé, 2011] may function as a form of social reinforcement in primates to ensure the young in the group learn from such very rare events.…”

Development in the Usage and Comprehension of Greeting Calls in a Free‐Ranging Group of Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata)

“…Immature individuals acquire the appropriate response to the alarm calls by observing adults (Seyfarth & Cheney ; Mateo & Holmes ; Hollén & Manser ; Meno et al. ). These studies indicate that the experience of hearing or looking at conspecifics promotes contextual learning in immature individuals.…”

“…In mammals, immature individuals learn to give alarm calls to predators but not to non-predators (Seyfarth et al 1980;Robinson 1981;Holl en et al 2008;Meno et al 2013a). Immature individuals acquire the appropriate response to the alarm calls by observing adults (Seyfarth & Cheney 1986;Mateo & Holmes 1997;Holl en & Manser 2006;Meno et al 2013b). These studies indicate that the experience of hearing or looking at conspecifics promotes contextual learning in immature individuals.…”

Development of snake‐directed antipredator behavior by wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys: III. the signaling properties of alarm‐call tonality

“…Corrected herein, the scorpion eater snake model was originally misidentified by Meno et al (2013aMeno et al ( , 2013b as a Central American indigo snake (Drymarchon melanurus, Harry Greene, personal communication 2014). According to Greene, this error does not disconfirm capuchin ability to differentiate dangerous from nondangerous snakes.…”

“…This implies that some facets of alarm calling at snakes are learned, either from individual experience or via social learning. Capuchins across age groups also alarm call at higher rates when alone than when in a group, and capuchins that alarm at higher rates are more likely to recruit conspecifics (Meno, Coss, & Perry, 2013b). Recruitment may also play a role in social learning; an infant calling at a nondangerous animal that fails to recruit adults may learn that this species is not considered a threat.…”