2022 - Maternal Behavior in Howler Monkeys (Alouatta palliata) - Poster Presentation

Maternal behavior in primates has shown that they take care of their infants to help them develop. When infants play and socialize with each other, they are developing behaviors and social skills. A study on Alouatta palliata in Honduras found that females with infants were spending more time with other mothers than with any other member of their group. We don't know if this is true at La Selva. Who do female A. palliata spend the most time with? I predict that female A. palliata with infants will spend more time with other female A. palliata with infants than with female A. palliata who do not have an infant. This study will take place at La Selva Research Station. Located at the confluence of the Puerto Viejo and Sarapiqui Rivers, La Selva Research Station can be found in the province of Heredia, Costa Rica. La Selva is 1500 hectares of protected primary and secondary rainforest. The average rainfall is 4000 mm per year with average temperatures of 25 degree C to 27 degree C. One of the species of monkeys found here is A. palliata. These monkeys are black with a long gold fringe on their sides. Males weigh 4.5 to 9 kg and females 3.5 to 7.3 kg. For my data collection, I am going to do 10-second instantaneous focal sampling and record mothers' proximity to their nearest neighbor and who that neighbor is. I will compare proximities of mothers with and without infants.