Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Ring-tailed lemur'

By studying how captive animals use outdoor space, we can determine which areas fulfill their biological and behavioral needs to improve enclosure design for animal welfare and visitor experience. The aim of the study was to determine the differential use of outdoor space in a mixed exhibit of captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) and red ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra), and to assess both the effect of adding environmental enrichment and possible visitor and meteorological effects on the lemurs’ use of space and behavior. For one month, five-minute interval scan sampling was used to record lemur location and behavior, as well as the meteorological conditions and presence of zoo visitors in the lemurs’ outdoor enclosure. That baseline was followed by four alternating two-week periods of food or structural enrichment, both with and without visitors. Enrichment increased the lemurs’ use of the enriched sectors, decreased resting, and increased locomotion. Structural enrichment increased their exploratory behaviors and stimulated arboreal locomotion. Both species preferred sunny and warm conditions for sunbathing and resting, while moving more around the enclosure in cooler and cloudier weather. The visitor effect on the lemurs’ use of space was weaker than the effects of enrichment and meteorological conditions. The availability of areas to hide and possible habituation to humans may have played a role in the reduced visitor effect. The results of the study showed inter-specific differences in the lemurs’ use of space and behavior and a complex combined effect of enrichment, visitor presence and meteorological conditions.

Thesis advisor: David Krauss
Behavior in a confined group of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and a confined group of ring tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) were analyzed to reveal any significant differences in agonistic behaviors and to assess the varying stress levels between individuals. I predicted that the activity rate of the individuals would determine the amount of agonistic behavior demonstrated, specifically that more active individuals would be more frequently performing agonistic behaviors than those who were less active. The mandrills as a whole exhibited a higher activity rate than the lemurs, and the proportion of time spent exhibiting agonistic behaviors was also higher, as expected. These results suggest that the mandrill population is under more stress than the lemurs. Differences in the age makeup of these groups may partially explain the behavioral differences that occurred: the mandrills' group included a juvenile who was considerably more active than his parents while all three lemurs observed were adults. Differences in the size of the exhibit may also explain the differences as the exhibit for the mandrills was smaller than that of the lemurs, while the mandrills were more than triple the lemurs' size. This analysis supports earlier studies: that primate behavior is influenced strongly by their environment and its cohabitants
Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2004
Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Biology
Discipline: College Honors Program

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária
The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence of iron storage disease in captive ringtailed lemurs’ populations housed in different zoological parks in Portugal and relate it to the different diet regimens. Eighteen animals were admitted to this study and then subdivided into three different groups, according to their zoological institution. Blood transferrin saturation level was measured for each animal. The diet given at each park was also analyzed and then related to the obtained transferrin saturation values. It was verified that transferrin saturation value is high in 89% of the animals and the mean was higher than 55% (above the reference range) in all groups. Despite the small sample size, it was evident that there is a high prevalence of iron storage disease in captive ring-tailed lemurs, which seems to be strongly related to the captive diet offered in zoological institutions.
RESUMO - Prevalência de iron storage disease em lémures de cauda anelada mantidos em cativeiro - O presente estudo tem como objectivo determinar a prevalência de iron storage disease em lémures de cauda anelada mantidos em condições de cativeiro e relacioná-la com a dieta fornecida aos lémures em diferentes parques zoológicos, em Portugal. Para a realização do estudo, reuniu-se uma amostra de dezoito indivíduos divididos em três grupos, conforme o parque de onde provinham. Procedeu-se à colheita de sangue de cada animal com posterior análise da saturação de transferrina. Foi também analisada a dieta à qual os lémures são sujeitos em cada parque, relacionando-a mais tarde com os níveis de saturação de transferrina obtidos. Foi constatado que o nível de saturação de transferrina dos indivíduos analisados é elevado em 89% dos animais, encontrando-se acima de 55% (valor máximo do intervalo de referência) em todos os grupos. Apesar da reduzida amostra deste estudo, existe uma forte evidência da elevada prevalência de iron storage disease nos lémures de cauda anelada mantidos em cativeiro, o que parece estar fortemente relacionada com a dieta oferecida a esses animais nos respectivos parques zoológicos.
N/A

Dominance status in female ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) has a pervasive effect upon social organization, however the proximate mechanisms underlying female rank-relations remain poorly understood. I investigated how four such attributes - weight, age, agonistic frequency, and fecal testosterone levels - relate to female rank-order wild ring-tailed lemurs at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. My results indicated that: (1) The mean weight of high-ranking females is significantly greater than in lower-ranking females; (2) The relationship of age in relation to rank follows an inverted J-shaped pattern, with old adults attaining the highest average rank, followed by prime adults, young adults, and very old adults; (3) Significant, positive correlations between rank and rates of agonism exist in four of the six study groups; and (4) The effect of rank on mean testosterone concentration was significant in one social troop, in which the two highest ianking females exhibited significantly lower mean testosterone levels.

Sex-specific calls are used in male-male agonistic encounters and male-female courtship in many animal species. The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is a gregarious Malagasy strepsirhine with twenty-two distinct vocalizations for adults, including two male-specific vocalizations and an additional vocalization with male-specific functions: the howl, the squeal, and the purr. Proposed intra-sexual agonistic functions for these three vocalizations have never been empirically tested. This study’s purpose was to investigate the functions of howling, squealing, and purring in the ring-tailed lemur, and to assess the relationships between the rates of these vocalizations and male dominance. From March to July 2010, I collected 600 hours of total data and 480 hours of focal data on male ring-tailed lemurs aged three and older at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. I observed each male continuously for 30 minutes at a time and noted behaviours including all vocalizations and all agonism using one–zero sampling at 2.5-min intervals. I calculated male dominance rank and vocalization rates from these data. My results indicated that male dominance rank is correlated with male purring rate and with squealing rate, but not with howling rate. Male purring rate increased during intra-sexual agonism and was associated with aggression in agonistic encounters. Squealing rate increased during male-male agonism and indicated both aggression and submission in male-male encounters. Howling rate increased during inter-group encounters and a greater number of males participated in multi-male howling choruses when non-group members were present. Purring and squealing are agonistic vocalizations and used in male-male agonism in the ring-tailed lemur, while howling is used in inter-group encounters.

Global climate change and habitat fragmentation represent two of the greatest threats to biodiversity and ecological processes worldwide. It is predicted that anthropogenic induced climate change could represent a key factor for extinctions in the near future, considering that the Earth is set to become warmer than at any period in the past 40 million years. Habitat fragmentation and isolation pose a number of challenges for the fauna inhabiting degraded areas, including lack of dispersal opportunities leading to inbreeding resulting in a loss of genetic diversity, reduced reproductive fitness; increases in vulnerability to predation, hunting, and disease, and an inability to deal with or respond to environmental changes and/or disease. Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, is home to unprecedented levels of endemism, including over 100 species of lemur. The island has undergone a range of historical and contemporary landscape transformations, both natural and anthropogenic. These landscape transformations combined with additional human-induced disturbances, such as the illegal pet and bushmeat trades, have had devastating effects on the island’s extant primate populations. Thus, Madagascar’s lemurs have been deemed the most endangered group of mammals and now represent the highest primate conservation priority in the world. The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is endemic to the southern regions of the island and occupies an array of habitats. L. catta is known for its remarkable behavioral and ecological flexibility, which contributes to its ability to exist in a mostly fragmented landscape. While this species represents one of the most well studied Malagasy strepsirhines, there has been a paucity of research regarding the population and conservation genetics of this endangered species. The goal of my dissertation was to examine the influence of habitat fragmentation and isolation on the genetic diversity and population structuring of this flagship species in three populations living in the central highlands of Madagascar: Anja Reserve, Sakaviro, and Tsaranoro Valley. Non-invasive fecal samples from 30 individual lemurs were collected from three fragmented forests and genotyped at six polymorphic microsatellite loci. Population genetic analyses were examined via GenAlEx software and revealed a moderate level genetic diversity. Genetic differentiation (FST) among the three fragmented populations ranged from 0.05-0.11. These data suggest that the L. catta populations within south-central Madagascar have not yet lost significant genetic variation. To examine past and recent demographic declines or genetic bottlenecks, I employed three approaches, including mode-shift and M-Ratio tests, as well as a test to detect heterozygosity excess using three mutation models: the two-phase model (TPM), step-wise mutation model (SMM), and the infinite allele model (IAM). Results were equivocal depending on the test that was applied; however, a mode-shift was detected for Anja, signifying this population underwent a historical bottleneck. M-ratio tests revealed that all three populations suffered historical bottlenecks. A population bottleneck was indicated via heterozygosity excess under the IAM for both the Anja and Sakaviro populations. To understand the impact of natural (e.g., mountains) and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., roads, habitat fragmentation) on male reproductive strategies (dispersal) and population structuring, I utilized both GenAlEx and STRUCTURE software. Population assignment analyses suffered from a likely ‘lack of signal’. Therefore, individuals were unable to be reliably assigned to their population of origin. Genetic population structure was ambiguous. These data suggest that that these three fragmented populations are not genetically differentiated enough for proper population assignment, or perhaps the sample is not robust enough for population assignment analyses to produce unequivocal results. My research represents the first population genetic data for ring-tailed lemurs within the central highlands, and thus, serves as a baseline for future investigations into the genetic health of these populations. These data support the suggestion that these three fragments represent areas in which concerted conservation efforts are necessary if genetic diversity is to be maintained and future demographic declines are to be prevented. My results are informative for the local community conservation associations working within south-central Madagascar and can now be applied to determine areas of conservation priority and where forest corridors will be the most beneficial for maintaining gene flow. The loss and fragmentation of habitat continues across Madagascar, including the central highlands; thus, all remaining L. catta populations should be considered a high conservation priority. If we are to safeguard the long-term viability of this species, continued conservation and research initiatives will be crucial.
Graduate
0327
0369
lemurgirl.clarke@gmail.com

In an effort to better understand primate behavioural flexibility and responses to low-biomass habitats, behavioural patterns of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) living in a xerophytic spiny forest habitat in southern Madagascar were examined. Behavioural data were collected over two months on two separate groups living in two distinctly different habitats: a sub-desert spiny forest and a riverine gallery forest. Data on the following behavioural categories integral to primate sociality were collected: time allocation, anti-predator vigilance, predator sensitive foraging, feeding competition, and affiliative behaviour. L. catta living in the spiny forest habitat differed significantly in many behavioural patterns when compared to L. catta living in the gallery forest. I suggest that the ability to successfully alter behavioural strategies to varying ecological conditions allows ring-tailed lemurs to occupy low biomass habitats which are uninhabitable to nearly all other primate species in Madagascar. Lemur catta evolution, behavioural flexibility, and conservation will be discussed.

The red panda and ring-tailed lemur are species, which are commonly kept in zoological gardens. The red panda and ring-tailed lemur are classified as vulnerable and endangered, respectively, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The aim of this study was to describe the normal radiographic thoracic anatomy, radiographic and ultrasonographic abdominal anatomy as well as the normal morphology of the pelvis, thoracic and hind limb in captive red pandas and ring-tailed lemurs as a reference for clinical use. Radiography and ultrasonography were performed in adult captive red pandas and ring-tailed lemurs during annual health examinations. Bone specimens of adult red pandas and ring-tailed lemurs were used for gross osteological study. The morphology of the pelvis, thoracic and hind limb of the red panda and ring-tailed lemur supported the presence of strong flexor and supinator muscles and flexibility of limb joints, which are important in arboreal quadrupedal locomotion. However, the scapula of the ring-tailed lemur is modified for both arboreal and terrestrial quadrupedal locomotion. Additionally, the morphology of the pelvis and hind limb of the ring-tailed lemur showed locomotor adaptation for jumping. Normal radiographic and ultrasonographic reference ranges for thoracic structures and abdominal organs were established and ratios were calculated. Knowledge of the normal morphology, radiographic and ultrasonographic anatomy of the red panda and ring-tailed lemur should prove useful in the diagnosis of diseases and for routine health examinations.
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015.
tm2016
Anatomy and Physiology
PhD
Unrestricted

The threats of human encroachment and climate change are increasing and understanding the interplay between genetic diversity, fitness, and ecological variation has become critical for predicting adaptive responses and species extinction risk. Decreasing genetic diversity, owing to population decline or inbreeding, can be detrimental at the level of the individual, population, or species. One of the major challenges for evolutionary and conservation biologists is identifying the specific genetic components that influence inter-individual variation in fitness remains. As a direct link between genetic-make up and individual fitness, the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is critical to the activation of the adaptive immune system. Biologist have suggested that in addition to influencing an individual's health, variation at the MHC may be related to an individual's survival and reproductive success. Here, I test this hypothesis using two populations of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at long-term study sites to achieve individual and population-level comparisons of MHC diversity and to integrate new genetic technology with behavioral, ecological, and environmental data. First, I address the difficulty of genotyping large populations at hypervariable genes by using next generation sequencing and suggest improvements to current methods. Second, I describe patterns of variation at the MHC-DRB 2nd exon, including diversity between alleles, individuals, and populations. Next, I examine the relationship between MHC-DRB diversity and measures of immunocompetence, parasitism, and survival within a broader framework of ecological variability across captive and wild conditions. Because the MHC is also thought to be important in mate choice and reproduction, I use an experimental approach in captive individuals to investigate possible mechanisms of MHC-based signaling through olfactory communication. Lastly, I link a female's MHC genotype to her reproductive success in the wild and explore if this relationship is altered by environmental stressors. The results of this dissertation emphasize the increasing feasibility of using genetic approaches to investigate the fitness correlates of genetic diversity non-model systems. These advances are critical for future studies and the integration of behavioral, ecological, and genetic perspectives in semi-natural and wild environments.

Dissertation

Habitat fragmentation potentiates biodiversity loss worldwide. Species preservation requires an integrated understanding of wildlife-habitat relationships; however, responses to habitat fragmentation may vary considerably as a function of the species ecological flexibility and the unique attributes of each fragment habitat. In this dissertation, I explore the behavioural and health ecology of an ecologically flexible primate, the ringtailed lemur (Lemur catta), occupying forest fragments in south-central Madagascar that differ in isolation, degree of anthropogenic pressure, and L. catta food resource structure. Anja Special Reserve is a 34 ha rocky-outcrop forest fragment that is highly isolated from other forests containing L. catta. L. catta in this reserve have access to abundant food and water resources year-round due to the introduction of non-native fruit trees and the construction of an artificial lake adjacent the reserve, which support a population density of L. catta (6.6 lemurs/ha) that is higher than at any other site in which the species has been studied. In comparison, the Tsaranoro Valley forest is a 53 ha rocky-outcrop forest fragment that is surrounded by a matrix of grassy savannah and a few anthropogenic crops. While land clearing is pronounced in the valley, a few fragments remain within range for L. catta dispersal. L. catta in this fragment have limited access to introduced or anthropogenic resources and the population density (1.13 lemurs/ha) is one-sixth that at Anja. During the late dry season of 2010 and mid- to late-wet season of 2011, I collected continuous time focal animal data to examine behavioural patterns related to habitat use (ranging, matrix use, terrestriality), activity budgets, and feeding ecology of L. catta in each fragment. In addition, I examined two health parameters, stress and endoparasitism, through the collection of fecal samples from focal individuals. I compared these variables between and within populations to examine the potential impacts of habitat fragmentation on an ecologically adaptable primate. L. catta at Anja depended on smaller home range areas and a focused diet consisting largely of introduced food resources, and correspondingly exhibited lower energy expenditure, while spending more time engaging in rest and social acitivities when compared with the Tsaranoro lemurs. In comparison, L. catta at Tsaranoro occupied large home ranges, traveled greater distances to forage in the matrix habitat surrounding the fragment, and exhibited a more broad-based dietary strategy that contained few introduced or anthropogenic resources. From a health perspective, L. catta at Anja exhibited higher stress levels throughout the study period, while L. catta at Tsaranoro exhibited a greater prevalence of endoparasites, which may be reflective of differences in the social pressures and ranging patterns of L. catta between the two fragments, respectively. These results illustrate differences in the quality of the habitats and the potential fitness consequences that the L. catta populations must cope with, with important implications regarding the long-term suitability of these fragments for sustaining these populations. Such information is integral when assessing the viability of wildlife populations in degraded landscapes and should be a primary consideration for wildlife managers in biodiversity conservation.
Graduate
0327
0329
denisegabrie@gmail.com

Ring-tailed lemur Lemur catta, red ruffed lemur Varecia rubra and black and white ruffed lemur Varecia variegata belongs to the family Lemuridae, living at Madagaskar as endemits. In wildlife is folivorous and frugivorous food strategy at the both genus ? in the process g. Varecia is more frugivorous. Study was divided into two parts ? the first about ration of feeding chosen species of lemurs in several czech zoos and the second about ethology feeding behaviour lemurs in zoo Jihlava. For nutritional assessment were further chosen zoos Lešná, Jihlava, Ústí nad Labem, Ohrada and Chleby. From ration of feeding for chosen species of lemurs was counted average personal ration per day. This average was used to calculate nutritional values of dietary (fats, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosporus and iron) for each kind of menu or particularly day a week. For ethologic observation was made method of straight observation with used behaviour sampling ? scanning of a behaviour. Observation was done from July to December 2011 in whole extent 56 hours. Study solved out that ration of feeding are very different in each zoo like nutritional values of dietary and amount. In each zoo has larger ration of feeding Varecia rubra than Lemur catta. In average this diference beetwen that makes 144,25 g. Observation (zoo Jihlava) showed that Lemur catta spends foraging behaviour 19,75 minutes per day and handling 42,75 minutes per day in average. All in all they spending their feeding behavior only 62,5 minutes (1,04 hours) per day. Further more was discovered diference in length feeding behaviour when in their habitation more tree branches were. Adding branches to there increased length of feeding behaviour about of 22,67 minutes per day.

abstract: Fundamental hypotheses about the life history, complex cognition and social dynamics of humans are rooted in feeding ecology - particularly in the experiences of young animals as they grow. However, the few existing primate developmental data are limited to only a handful of species of monkeys and apes. Without comparative data from more basal primates, such as lemurs, we are limited in the scope of our understanding of how feeding has shaped the evolution of these extraordinary aspects of primate biology. I present a developmental view of feeding ecology in the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) using a mixed longitudinal sample (infant through adult) collected at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve in southwestern Madagascar from May 2009 to March 2010. I document the development of feeding, including weaning, the transition to solid food, and how foods are included in infant diets. Early in juvenility ring-tailed lemurs efficiently process most foods, but that hard ripe fruits and insects require more time to master. Infants and juveniles do not use many of the social learning behaviors that are common in monkeys and apes, and instead likely rely both on their own trial and error and simple local enhancement to learn appropriate foods. Juvenile ring-tailed lemurs are competent and efficient foragers, and that mitigating ecological risks may not best predict the lemur juvenile period, and that increases in social complexity and brain size may be at the root of primate juvenility. Finally, from juvenility through adulthood, females have more diverse diets than males. The early emergence of sex differences in dietary diversity in juvenility that are maintained throughout adulthood indicate that, in addition to reproductive costs incurred by females, niche partitioning is an important aspect of sex differential feeding ecology, and that ontogenetic studies of feeding are particularly valuable to understanding how selection shapes adult, species-typical diets. Overall, lemur juvenility is a time to play, build social relationships, learn about food, and where the kernels of sex-typical feeding develop. This study of the ontogeny of feeding ecology contributes an important phylogenetic perspective on the relationship between juvenility and the emergent foraging behaviors of developing animals
Dissertation/Thesis
Ph.D. Anthropology 2012