Significance of color, calories, and climate to the visual ecology of catarrhines
Here we describe correlations among visual ecology and the physiochemical properties of fruits and leaves consumed by four species of catarrhine primate: Cercopithecus ascanius, Colobus guereza, Pan troglodytes, and Piliocolobus badius. Collectively, their diet was diverse, with each species relying on fruits and leaves to different extents. The mean chromaticity of both foods, as perceived […]
Seasonal and altitudinal effects on glucocorticoid metabolites in a wild primate (Theropithecus gelada)
Behavioral ecologists are increasingly adopting sophisticated non-invasive methods for measuring glucocorticoids from “excreta” because samples are easy to collect, animals are left undisturbed, and measures may be more reflective of external events than serum samples. Some of the most common predictors for hormone profiles in wild animals are seasonal changes in ecology and behavior. For […]
Hormonal profiles of captive Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra)
Monthly blood samples, daily mating observations from Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra), and local rainfall and temperature were collected at the Honolulu Zoo as part of a fertility evaluation. Testosterone concentrations were measured for males (n = 6), two of which were seen copulating and were considered sexually active. Estrone sulfate and progesterone concentrations were measured for female […]