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Sleeping site selection of Francois’s langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) in two habitats in Mayanghe National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China

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Abstract

Sleeping site selection is an important aspect of the behavioral biology of primates. Comparison of different habitats for the same species in this context enhances understanding of their adaptation to altered environments. We collected data on sleep-related behaviors for 6 groups of Francois’s langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) in two habitats, in Mayanghe National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China. Regardless of habitat, all sleeping sites were located in areas of steep terrain of ≥60°. In undisturbed habitat, sleeping sites were located only in evergreen broadleaf forest with rock caves and crevices surrounded mainly by a vegetation layer of shrub + rock. In disturbed habitat, sleeping sites were also located in mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forest and in grassland, including rock caves, crevices, and pits, surrounded mainly by arbor + shrub and shrub + rock. Wild food availability was higher in undisturbed habitat than disturbed habitat, but food abundance around sleeping sites was lower. Water sources included river and seasonal gully or pond. There was strong positive correlation between use of sleeping sites away from the river valley and occurrence of seasonal water sources. The number of sleeping sites varied across groups, numbering 6, 7, and 10 for three specific groups. Few sleeping sites were used all year round. Six consecutive nights was the longest recorded run. Francois’s langurs’ sleeping habits differed between two habitats. In undisturbed habitat, minimizing predation risk appeared to predominate, expressed by choosing steep terrain, open visual field, and inconspicuous presleeping behavior. In disturbed habitat, along with predation avoidance, food resources may strongly influence sleeping site selection, as demonstrated by the richer food abundance and greater foraging activity around the site. Finally, water resources may influence choice of sites distant from the river; such sites were used less frequently during water shortages.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, P. R. China (Grants No. 2008BADB0B01). All research methods adhered to Chinese legal requirements. We are grateful to the staff of Mayanghe National Nature Reserve for their support and help. We thank Mr. Qikun Zhao, Dr. William Bleisch, and Mr. Paul Insua-Cao for their valuable comments and revisions of English. We are grateful for the meticulous work of the anonymous editors. We are also indebted to Ms. Xiao Yanqing and Dr. Xing Shaohua for their help in providing valuable references. Thanks are also given to the anonymous reviewers for their very useful and detailed comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangxi Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, Nanning, People’s Republic of China

    Shuangling Wang

  2. College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Shuangling Wang & Guofa Cui

  3. China Programme, Fauna and Flora International, Nanning, People’s Republic of China

    Yang Luo

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  1. Shuangling Wang
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  2. Yang Luo
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  3. Guofa Cui
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Correspondence to Guofa Cui.

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Wang, S., Luo, Y. & Cui, G. Sleeping site selection of Francois’s langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) in two habitats in Mayanghe National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China. Primates 52, 51–60 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-010-0218-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-010-0218-2

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