Ventura, Rafaella and Majolo, Bonaventura and Schino, Gabriele and Hardie, Scott (2004) Differential effects of ambient temperature and humidity on allogrooming, self-grooming, and scratching in wild Japanese macaques. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 126 (4). pp. 453-457. ISSN 0002-9483

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Abstract

This study presents data on the effects of variations in ambient temperature and humidity on behaviors related to the care of the pelage (allogrooming, self-grooming, and scratching) in wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui). The amount of time monkeys spent allogrooming was essentially unaffected by variations in ambient temperature and relative humidity. Frequency of scratching and, to a lesser extent, time spent self-grooming significantly increased when ambient temperature and/or relative humidity increased. These results are interpreted in relation to the differences in ultimate function that exist between allogrooming (with both hygienic and social functions) and self-grooming and scratching (with a solely hygienic function).

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This study presents data on the effects of variations in ambient temperature and humidity on behaviors related to the care of the pelage (allogrooming, self-grooming, and scratching) in wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui). The amount of time monkeys spent allogrooming was essentially unaffected by variations in ambient temperature and relative humidity. Frequency of scratching and, to a lesser extent, time spent self-grooming significantly increased when ambient temperature and/or relative humidity increased. These results are interpreted in relation to the differences in ultimate function that exist between allogrooming (with both hygienic and social functions) and self-grooming and scratching (with a solely hygienic function).
Keywords:	Allogrooming, Macaca fuscata, Relative humidity, Ambient temperature, Scratching, self-grooming
Subjects:	C Biological Sciences > C120 Behavioural Biology
Divisions:	College of Sciences > Faculty of Science > School of Life Sciences
Depositing User:	Bev Jones
Date Deposited:	28 Jun 2007
Last Modified:	13 Mar 2013 08:24
URI:	http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/id/eprint/893

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