Spatial memory in the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus)
Wild animals face the challenge of locating feeding sites distributed across broad spatial and temporal scales. Spatial memory allows animals to find a goal, such as a productive feeding patch, even when there are no goalspecific sensory cues available. Because there is little experimental information on learning and memory capabilities in free-ranging primates, the aim […]
The sensory basis of prey detection in captive-born grey mouse lemurs, Microcebus murinus
The sensory bases of food detection, food location and food choice in nocturnal primates are poorly understood. Grey mouse lemurs, Microcebus murinus, are omnivorous nocturnal strepsirhines and generally regarded a good model for the most ancestral primate condition. We set up a series of choice experiments in a controlled laboratory environment to investigate the roles […]
Walk the Line—Dispersal Movements of Gray Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus murinus)
Despite the importance of dispersal for individuals and populations, little is known about the actual dispersal process in most species. We observed 90 subadult gray mouse lemurs—small, arboreal, nocturnal primates—in Kirindy Forest in western Madagascar, to determine the behavioral processes underlying natal dispersal. Twelve radio-collared males dispersed over distances between 180 and 960 m (≈1–7 […]
Is risk taking during foraging a personality trait? A field test for cross-context consistency in boldness
During foraging, animals have to balance the risk of predation with the energy gain. The amount of risk animals take for a given resource depends on their energy budget but is expected also to vary between individuals of different personality types. We tested whether individuals of free-ranging grey mouse lemurs, Microcebus murinus, forage risk-sensitively and […]