Monkeys in Central America are changing their behavior due to deforestation

Even in the jungles of Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and southern Mexico, a wide range of monkey species exhibit an intense social life: they play, fight, communicate (sometimes with loud screams) within their hierarchies. Many of them are threatened by severe habitat loss, poaching or indiscriminate cutting down of trees where they spend most of their time. A clear example is the spider monkey (Atlees Geoffrey) which is present Risk of extinction Precisely because of the loss of its natural habitat. This species needs large areas of forest to survive and is very vulnerable to deforestation: “They have a low reproduction rate and their populations cannot be easily replaced, so this species suffers irreparable damage because of this.”

Habitat loss and deforestation of the precious forests they inhabit not only affects the population of these monkeys, but also changes their natural social behavior, adopting new behaviors to ensure their survival. “A trend we see in fauna around the world is that when their forests are cut down, they adapt in some way or their populations decline.” explains lead scientist Laura Bolt of the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Bolt is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Madras Rainforest Conservation Board in Costa Rica and directs a program at the La Suarte Biological Research Station (LSBRS). It aims to study monkeys before they are on the brink of extinctionand proposes conservation projects to protect part of its habitats and landscapes.

The first results of the project were published this week American Journal of Primatology And the effect is Six years of work (2017 to 2023) studying social behavior in animals. In northeastern Costa Rica, in anthropogenically modified rainforests, viz. Forests modified by human activitiesBy cutting trees or creating pastures and agricultural fields.

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In Costa Rica, spider monkeys are adapted to move their activities in the highest parts of trees. They prefer to eat nutritious fruits such as figs, which are usually found on tall, mature trees. Now, however, at the edges of the forest, the trees are generally smaller, and the monkeys are missing out on a good portion of their food requirements. This forces them to spend more time on the surface (rather than through trees) preventing them from traveling easily and expending less energy. Very vulnerable to attack by potential predators.

The study covered the social behaviors of three different species of monkeys: Central American spider monkeys (Atlees Geoffrey), white-faced capuchin monkeys (A follower of Cebus) and howler monkeys (Aluta palliata).

Observations of these three species of monkeys indicate a change in some behavioral patterns when exposed to more outdoor and less dense areas compared to monkeys that continue to live in the wild. For example, white-faced capuchin monkeys, which are small and vulnerable to predators, have changed their behavior patterns. They exhibit very discreet behavior so as not to attract attention. They are now less likely to vocalize, communicate or fight than when they lived in more protected areas of the forest.

“If they are in an area with small trees, they can be easily spotted by predators, which means they are particularly vulnerable, and capuchins will try to go unnoticed to avoid being attacked.” The principal explains.

Something similar occurs in spider monkeys Decline in social behaviors For those living on the edge of anthropogenic forests, compared to the interior. However, interestingly, howler monkeys have not yet adapted their communication and are still social and vocal. “This could be a long-term concern for these howler monkeys. “These monkeys can only live in one way and can't adapt their habits,” Bolt says, and that puts them in a dangerous situation.

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Scientific notes and additional information:

Bolt, Laura M., et al. «Edge effects and social behavior in three platyrrhines». American Journal of Primatology (2024) DOI:10.1002/ajp.23610.

Christy StraussPrimatologist observes how monkeys change behavior from deforestationUniversity of Toronto Mississauga | Phys.org