Sleeping Sites of Rhinopithecus brelichi at Yangaoping, Guizhou

Abstract

Arboreal primates spend about half of their lives at sleeping sites; hence, selection of sleeping sites is crucial for individual survival, and data concerning them is important for conservation efforts. We collected data on sleeping sites for a group of the endangered snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi) at Yangaoping (27°58′N, 108°45′E) from January 2006 to December 2007. All sleeping sites were located in the mid-slope and in the shadow of ridges facing the northeast and southeast. The monkeys remained quiet while entering and occupying sleeping sites, and slept in evergreen species during the cold season (December-March). Trees in sleeping sites were similar in height and girth at breast height to those elsewhere, but some trees in lower areas were larger. The monkeys usually slept in close proximity to the last feeding spot, and their daily activities usually occurred around the sleeping site. Areas adjacent to sleeping sites were used more intensively than those not adjacent. Monkeys left the sleeping sites later in the morning in the cold season. These behavioral responses suggested that predation risk, thermoregulation, and climate stresses are the main determining factors in the selection of sleeping sites for this temperate monkey.

Altitudinal Movements of Guizhou Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi) in Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, China: Implications for Conservation Management of a Flagship Species

“…Accordingly, their night roosts were significantly lower in elevation than their feeding sites and day roosts. Contrary to Xiang et al [2010], our results do not support the finding that the monkeys sleep near their feeding site, although critical comparisons are difficult because the authors observed the monkeys from 13 fixed locations, and the spatial scale they used to describe the monkeys' various activity areas (including sleeping sites) was more coarsegrained than ours. Also, it is unclear how feeding site was defined in their study.…”

Sleeping site selection by golden-backed uacaris, Cacajao melanocephalus ouakary (Pitheciidae), in Amazonian flooded forests

“…Heymann 1995 for Saguinus mystax and Saguinus fuscicollis; Radespiel et al 1999 Zhang et al 2011 for Rhinopithecus roxellanae), minimise the distance to the first feeding tree of the following morning (von Hippel 1998) and have a low probability of branch loss under windy conditions (Di Bitetti et al 2000). For primates living in temperate climes, avoiding climatic stress can also be an important consideration in sleepingsite choice (Anderson 2000;Li et al 2010;Xiang et al 2010;Zhang et al 2011). For species in limestone areas, access to water may also be key (Wang et al 2011 for T. francoisi).…”

Seasonal Effects on Sleeping Site Ecology in a Nocturnal Pair-Living Lemur (Avahi occidentalis)

“…In open vegetation, specific sleeping tree traits such as height, (e.g., tall tree), diameter at breast height, (e.g., large), and surrounding coverage, (e.g., dense), are all associated with the quality of a sleeping site (Cui et al 2006;Di Bitetti et al 2000;Fan and Jiang 2008). For example, snubnosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi) use tall trees with large crowns and high percentages of canopy cover, which provide shelter from snow, rain, and predation (Xiang et al 2010). Sleeping in trees with dense foliage also offers better protection than sleeping on bare deciduous trees (Xiang et al 2010).…”

“…For example, snubnosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi) use tall trees with large crowns and high percentages of canopy cover, which provide shelter from snow, rain, and predation (Xiang et al 2010). Sleeping in trees with dense foliage also offers better protection than sleeping on bare deciduous trees (Xiang et al 2010).…”

“…The dynamics of leaf coverage therefore affect the availability of suitable and high-quality sleeping sites for primate species, and sleeping site selection may vary accordingly (Xiang et al 2010). For primate species using crypsis as an antipredation strategy, i.e., avoiding predators by hiding in the vegetation, the rainy season should provide more safe sleeping sites owing to the increase in the percentage of canopy cover and thereby increased difficulty to detect prey (Janson 1998 (Fan and Jiang 2008;Xiang et al 2010).…”