The Animal-Visitor Interaction Protocol (AVIP) for the assessment of Lemur catta walk-in enclosure in zoos
Animal–Visitor Interactions (AVI) are activities offered by zoos and other tourism facilities, in which visitors come into close contact with animals. These activities can promote conservational and educational content, raise conservation mindedness and responsibility for the environment and animal welfare, but if not properly managed can jeopardize visitors’ and animals’ well-being and conservation efforts. The […]
Forest access restores foraging and ranging behavior in captive sifakas
Captive wildlife benefit from ecologically informed management strategies that promote natural behaviors. The Duke Lemur Center has pioneered husbandry programs rooted in species’ ecology for a diversity of lemurs, including housing social groups in multiacre forest enclosures. We systematically document the foraging and ranging patterns of Coquerel’s sifakas (Propithecus coquereli) living in these forest enclosures. […]
Selecting and Testing Environmental Enrichment in Lemurs
Environmental enrichment has become a standard tool for improving the welfare of animals in zoos. Two critical steps in the manipulation of environmental enrichment are (1) selection of objects/procedures and (2) evaluation of their effects. In this study, we examined the selection and evaluation of feeding enrichment for four species of lemur. Experiment 1 used […]
Effects of Three Food Enrichment Items on the Behavior of Black Lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco) and Ringtail Lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Henson Robinson Zoo, Springfield, Illinois
This study tested 3 food enrichment items mentioned in a laboratory primate newsletter with 6 adult Eulemur macaco and 3 adult Lemur catta to examine whether the items would affect the behavior of the lemurs. The results suggest that Food Enrichment Item 3 (a wire box filled with whole grapes, apples, or both hidden in […]
Reproductive cycles and contraception of black lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco) with depot medroxyprogesterone acetate during the breeding season
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20136.abs Contraception is a critical component of population management for lemurs, but concerns about potential deleterious effects of continuous, long-term treatment with synthetic progestins such as the widely used melengestrol acetate implant led us to evaluate seasonal contraception with injections of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera, Upjohn Pharmacia, Kalamazoo, MI) to limit the duration of […]
Lighting requirements of nocturnal primates in captivity: A chronobiological approach
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430080209.abs From the results of chronobiological studies in 11 Aotus lemurinus (trivirgatus) griseimembra, 3 Galago garnettii, 5 Galago senegalensis, and 6 Microcebus murinus, inferences can be made on the most suitable lighting conditions for nocturnal primates kept in captivity. In each species studied light controls the daily periodic course of activity in a dual […]
Evidence from four lemur species that ringtailed lemur social cognition converges with that of haplorhine primates
Many haplorhine primates flexibly exploit social cues when competing for food. Whether strepsirrhine primates possess similar abilities is unknown. To explore the phylogenetic origins of such skills among primates, we tested ringtailed lemurs, Lemur catta, for their ability to exploit social cues while competing for food. We found that in two contexts ringtailed lemurs spontaneously […]
Chest staining variation as a signal of testosterone levels in male Verreaux’s Sifaka
Male Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) exhibit variation in the staining of chest hair in association with the activity of the sternal gland. Scent-marking behavior and social relationships have been shown to vary with the state of chest staining. Research on other mammals suggests that sternal gland activity is modulated by testosterone. The goal of this […]
Comparative behavior of primates. I. Delayed reaction tests on primates from the lemur to the orang-outan.
Using both the direct and indirect method, the authors tested the delayed-reaction ability of 2 anthropoid apes (an orang-utan and a white-handed gibbon), 19 old-world monkeys, 2 new-world monkeys, and 1 lemur. The animals were tested in their cages in the zoo. Delays of 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, and over 180 seconds […]
How Prosimian Primates Represent Tools: Experiments With Two Lemur Species (Eulemur fulvus and Lemur catta)
The authors examined how 2 lemur species (Eulemur fulvus and Lemur catta) reason about tools. Experiment 1 allowed subjects to use 1 of 2 canes to retrieve an inaccessible food reward. Lemurs learned to solve this problem as quickly as other primates. Experiment 2 then presented subjects with novel tools differing from the originals along […]