Files

Abstract

This study focused on the activity patterns of a male-female pair of semi-free ranging mongoose lemurs (Eulemur mongoz) in Myakka City, Florida. Despite hypotheses that a change in temperature drives the seasonal shift in the species' activity patterns, previous research has been unable to conclusively isolate this variable. Because the Lemur Conservation Foundation provided a constant food source and limited predation, it enabled this study to isolate the effect of temperature. The data illustrated no significant difference between hourly activity levels during sampling periods in the summer and fall of 2016 (P = 0.32). Despite lower temperatures in the fall (P = 0.01), the lemurs' activity patterns did not significantly alter from those in the warmer summer months. These findings indicate that seasonal food availability, rather than temperature, drives the shifting activity patterns of wild mongoose lemurs. While Curtis et al. (1999) originally suggest that the lemurs' higher fiber intake during the dry season drives this change in activity, more research is needed in order to fully understand this relationship.

Details

PDF

Statistics

from
to
Export
Download Full History