Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Male life history and intergroup mobility among ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

  • Published:
International Journal of Primatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lemur catta shares a male-biased dispersal pattern with most primate species and the majority of mammals. Individuals in a free-ranging population of ringtailed lemurs were captured, marked, released, and monitored for a 40-month period. Sixty-four percent of the males (43 of 67) migrated or were missing within this period and all nine censused groups were affected by migration. Males migrate from their natal group and then may migrate again after reaching full adult body weight. Full-sized adult males migrate at a rate of 0.28 per year or once every 3.5 years and may change groups a number of times during their life. Migrations occurred within a 6-month period, ending just after the mating season. However, there is no direct connection between mating success and male migration. Females mate with transferring males, with group males, and with visitors from adjacent groups. The age-related pattern of male migration and the occurrence of extragroup mating inLemur catta is similar to that described for several species of macaques.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Altmann, S. A., and Altmann, J. (1979). Demographic constraints on behavior and social organization. In Bernstein, I. S., and Smith, E. (Eds.),Primate Ecology and Human Origins, Garland, New York, pp. 47–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Budnitz, N., and Dainis, K. (1975).Lemur catta: Ecology and behavior. In Tattersall, I., and Sussman, R. W. (eds.),Lemur Biology, Plenum, New York, pp. 219–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caughley, G. (1977).Analysis of Vertebrate Populations, Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheney, D. L. (1983). Proximate and ultimate factors related to the distribution of male migration. In Hinde, R. A. (ed.),Primate Social Relationships, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 241–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drickmaer, L. C., and Vessey, S. H. (1973). Group changing in free-ranging male rheusus monkeys.Primates 14: 359–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M. (1979). Population demography, social organization, and mating strategies. In Bernstein, I. S., and Smith, E. O. (eds.),Primate Ecology and Human Origins, Garland, New York, pp. 65–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M. (1984).Reproductive Decisions: An Economic Analysis of Gelada Baboon Social Strategies, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunbar, R. I. M. (1988).Primate Social Systems, Comstock, Ithaca, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, C. S., and Goy, R. W. (1968). Social behaviour and reproductive cycles in captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta).J. Zool. Lond. 156: 181–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clutton-Brock, T. (1989). Female transfer and inbreeding avoidance in social mammals.Nature 337: 70–72.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, H. L., Weatherhead, P. J., Boag, P. T., White, B. N., Tabak, L. M., and Hoysak, D. J. (1990). Realized reproductive success of polygynous red-winged blackbirds revealed by DNA markers.Science 250: 1394–1397.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gould, L. (1990). The social development of free-ranging infantLemur catta at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar.Int. J. Primatol. 11: 297–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, P. J. (1980). Mating systems, philopatry, and dispersal in birds and mammals.Anim. Behav. 28: 1140–1162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hausfater, G. (1975).Dominance and Reproduction in Baboons (Papio cynocephalus), S. Karger, Basel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henzi, S. P., and Lucas, J. W. (1980). Observations on the inter-troop movement of adult vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops).Folia Primnatol. 33: 220–235.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huffman, M. A. (1991). Mate selection and partner preferences in female Japanese macaques. In Fedigan, L. M., and Asquith, P. (eds.),the Monkeys of Arashiyama: Thirty-Five Years of Study in the East and West. SUNY Press, New York (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Itani, J. (1972). A preliminary essay on the relationship between social organization and incest avoidance in nonhuman primates. In Poirier, F. E. (ed.),Primate Socialization, Random House, New York, pp. 165–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, K. C. (1983) Inter-troop transfer ofLemur cattta at Berenty, Madagascar.Folia primatol. 40: 145–160.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jolly, A. (1966).Lemur Behavior, University of Chicago, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Jolly, A. (1972). Troop continuity and troop spacing inPropithecus verreauxi andLemur catta at Berenty, (Madagascar).Folia Primatol. 17: 335–362.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jolly, A. (1984). The puzzle of female feeding priority. In Small, M. F. (ed),Female Primates: Studies by Women Primatologists, Liss, New York, pp. 197–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jolly, A., Oliver, W. L. R., and O'Connor, S. M. (1982). Population and troop ranges ofLemur catta andLemur fulvus at Berenty, madagascar: 1980 census.Folia Primatol. 39: 115–123.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koyama, N. (1988). Mating behavior of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at Berenty, Madagascar.Primates 29: 163–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kummer, H. (1968).Social Organization of Hamadryas Baboons, University of Chicago, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehlman, P. (1986). Male intergroup mobility in a wild population of the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), Ghomaran Rif Mountains, Morocco.Am. J. Primatol. 10: 67–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mertl-Millhollen, A. S., Gustafson, H. L., Budnitz, N., Dainis, K., and Jolly, A. (1979) Population and territory stability of theLemur catta at Berenty, Madagascar.Folia Primatol. 31: 106–122.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, J. (1992). Dispersal, nepotism, and primate social behavior.Int. J. Primatol. 13: 361–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (1981).Techniques for the Study of Primate Population Ecology, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packer, C. (1979). Male dominance and reproductive activity inpapio anubis.Anim. Behav. 27: 37–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, A. (1989). Determinants of male mating success in a large group of barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) at Affenberg, Salem.Primates 30: 461–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira, M. E., and Izard, M. K. (1989). Lactation and care for unrelated infants in forest-living ringtailed lemurs.Am. J. Primatol. 18: 101–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peireira, M. E., and Weiss, M. L. (1991) Female mate choice, male migration, and the threat of infanticide in ringtailed lemurs.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 28: 141–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pusey, A. E., and Packer, C. (1986) Dispersal and philopatry. In Smuts, B. B., Cheney, D. L., Seyfarth, R. M., Wrangham, R. W., and Struhsaker, T. T. (eds.),Primate Societies, University of Chicago, Chicago, pp. 250–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richard, A. F., Rakotomanga, P., and Sussman, R. W. (1987). Beza Mahafely: recerches fondementales et appliquées. In Mittermeier, R. A., Rakotovao, L. H., Randrianasolo, V., Sterling, E. J., and Devitre, D. (eds.),Priorites en Matière de Conservation des Especes a Madagascar, TUCN, Gland, pp. 45–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowell, T. E. (1979). How would we know if social organization werenot adaptive. In Bernstein, I. S., and Smith, E. O. (eds.),Primate Ecology and Human Origins, Garland, New York, pp. 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauther, M. L. (1989). Antipredator behavior in troops of free-rangingLemur catta at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar.Int. J. Primatol. 10:595–606.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauther, M. L. (1991) Reproductive behavior of free-rangingLemur catta at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar.Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 84: 463–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shields, W. M. (1987) Dispersal and mating systems: Investigating their causal connections. In Chepko-Sade, B. D. and Halpin, Z. T. (eds.)Mammalian Dispersal Patterns, University of Chicago, Chicago, pp. 3–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smuts, B. B. (1985).Sex and Friendship in Baboons, Aldine, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprague, D. S. (1992) Life history and male intertroop mobility among Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata).Int. J. Primatol. 13: 437–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sussman, R. W. (1974) Ecological distinctions between two species ofLemur. In Martin, R. D., Doyle, G. A., and Walker, A. C. (eds.),Prosimian Biology, Duckworth, London, pp. 75–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sussman, R. W. (1977). Feeding behaviour inLemur catta. In Clutton-Brock, T. (ed.),Primate Ecology: Feeding and Ranging Behaviour in Lemurs, Monkeys and Apes. Academic Press, London, pp. 1–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sussman, R. W. (1991). Demography and social organization of free-rangingLemur cata in the Beza Mahafaly Reserve, Madagascar.Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 84: 43–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sussman, R. W., and Richard, A. F. (1975) the role of aggresion among diurnal prosimians. In Holloway, R. L. (ed.),Primate Aggression, Territoriality, and Xenophobia, Academic, New York, pp. 49–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, L. (1986).Kinship, Dominance, and Social Organization in a Semi-Free Ranging Group of Ringtailed Lemur (Lemur catta), unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Washington University, St. Louis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, L., and Sussman, R. W. (1985) A preliminary study of kinship and social roganization in a semi free-ranging group ofLemur catta.Int. J. Primatol. 6: 601–614.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van, Horn, R. N., and Resko, J. A. (1977). The reproductive cycle of the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta): Sex steroid levels and sexual receptivity under controlled photoperiods.Endocrinology 101: 1579–1586.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Noordwijk, van Schaik, C. P. (1988) Male careers in Sumatran long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis).Behaviour 107: 25–43.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St, 63130, Louis, Missouri

    Robert W. Sussman

Authors
  1. Robert W. Sussman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sussman, R.W. Male life history and intergroup mobility among ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta). International Journal of Primatology 13, 395–413 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02547825

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02547825

Key words

Search

Navigation