Abstract
Vertebrate predation has not been reported for woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha) in their natural habitat. However, bird predation has been observed in captivity. The present report is based on 15 incidents of bird predation that occurred during a 1-year observational study of the nine woolly monkeys at the Louisville Zoo. All identified captures were by females. The captor and her prey were frequently pursued by the other monkeys. Social rank was related to attempts to steal the prey. Consumption was characterized by much chewing and frequent alternation between the prey and highly fiberous substances. Predation was not characterized by stereotypical behaviors for pursuit or killing of prey, but instead suggested opportunistic capture by a generalized organism. The low frequency of bird predation by captive woolly monkeys may indicate that a similar level of predation has gone undetected in the study ofLagothrix in the wild.
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Stearns, M., White, B.C., Schneider, E. et al. Bird predation by captive woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha). Primates 29, 361–367 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02380959
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02380959