scholarly journals Vocalization Analyses of Nocturnal Arboreal Mammals of the Taita Hills, Kenya

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 473
Author(s):  
Hanna Rosti ◽  
Henry Pihlström ◽  
Simon Bearder ◽  
Petri Pellikka ◽  
Jouko Rikkinen
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Montane Forests ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Otolemur Garnettii ◽  
Loud Calls ◽  
Call Structure ◽  
Taita Hills ◽  
Contact Calls

Three poorly known nocturnal mammal species from the montane forests of the Taita Hills in Kenya, were studied via vocalization analysis. Here, their acoustic behaviour is described. The studied animals were the tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax sp.), the small-eared greater galago (Otolemur garnettii), and the dwarf galago (Paragalago sp.). High-quality loud calls were analysed using RAVEN PRO, and compared to calls of presumed closest relatives. Our findings include the first detailed descriptions of tree hyrax songs. Moreover, our results suggest that the tree hyrax of Taita Hills may be a taxon new to science, as it produces a characteristic call, the ‘strangled thwack’, not previously known from other Dendrohyrax populations. Our data confirms that the small-eared greater galago subspecies living in the Taita Hills is Otolemur garnettii lasiotis. The loud calls of the elusive Taita Hills dwarf galago closely resemble those of the Kenya coast dwarf galago (Paragalago cocos). Thus, the population in the Taita Hills probably belongs to this species. The Taita Hills dwarf galagos are geographically isolated from other dwarf galago populations, and live in montane cloud forest, which is an unusual habitat for P. cocos. Intriguingly, two dwarf galago subpopulations living in separate forest patches in the Taita Hills, Ngangao and Mbololo, have clearly different contact calls. The Paragalagos in Mbololo Forest may represent a population of P. cocos with a derived call repertoire, or, alternatively, they may actually be mountain dwarf galagos (P. orinus). Hence, differences in habitat, behaviour, and contact call structure suggest that there may be two different Paragalago species in the montane forests of the Taita Hills.

scholarly journals Geographic Variation in Contact Calls of Feral North American Populations of the Monk Parakeet

The Condor ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susannah C. Buhrman-Deever ◽  
Amy R. Rappaport ◽  
Jack W. Bradbury
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Founder Effects ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Monk Parakeet ◽  
Call Structure ◽  
Myiopsitta Monachus ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
Contact Calls

Abstract Introduced feral populations offer a unique opportunity to study the effects of social interaction and founder effects on the development of geographic variation in learned vocalizations. Introduced populations of Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) have been growing in number since the 1970s, with a mixture of isolated and potentially interacting populations. We surveyed diversity in contact calls of Monk Parakeet populations in Connecticut, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. Contact call structure differed significantly among the isolated populations in each state. Contact call structure also differed significantly among potentially interacting nest colonies in coastal Connecticut, and these differences did not follow a geographic gradient. Limited dispersal distances, founder effects, and social learning preferences may play a role in call structure differences.

scholarly journals Effects of Forest Disturbance on Vegetation Structure and Above-Ground Carbon in Three Isolated Forest Patches of Taita Hills

2016 ◽  
Vol 06 (02) ◽  
pp. 142-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chemuku Wekesa ◽  
Nereoh Leley ◽  
Elias Maranga ◽  
Bernard Kirui ◽  
Gabriel Muturi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Forest Disturbance ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Taita Hills

The type localities of Anolis aequatorialis Werner, 1894 (Sauria: Iguania: Dactyloidae) and Pristimantis appendiculatus (Werner, 1894) (Amphibia: Anura: Craugastoridae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4216 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
DIEGO F. CISNEROS-HEREDIA
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Montane Forests ◽  
The Andes

The eminent Austrian zoologist Franz Werner described several new species of amphibians and reptiles from America, including Anolis aequatorialis Werner, 1894 and Hylodes appendiculatus Werner, 1894. Both species were described based on single specimens, with no more specific type localities than “Ecuador” (Werner 1894a,b). After its description, A. aequatorialis remained unreported until Peters (1967) and Fitch et al. (1976) published information on its distribution and natural history. Anolis aequatorialis is currently known to inhabit low montane and cloud forest on the western slopes of the Andes from extreme southern Colombia to central Ecuador, between 1300 and 2300 m elevation (Ayala-Varela & Velasco 2010; Ayala-Varela et al. 2014; Lynch et al. 2014; D.F. Cisneros-Heredia pers. obs.). Likewise, Hylodes appendiculatus (now Pristimantis appendiculatus) remained only known from its type description until Lynch (1971) and Miyata (1980) provided certain localities and information on its natural history. Pristimantis appendiculatus is currently known to occur in low montane, cloud, and high montane forests on the western slopes of the Andes from extreme southern Colombia to northern Ecuador between 1460 and 2800 m elevation (Lynch 1971; Miyata 1980; Lynch & Burrowes 1990; Lynch & Duellman 1997; Frost 2016). To this date, the type localities of both species remain obscure. The purpose of this paper is to restrict the type localities of Hylodes appendiculatus Werner, 1894 and Anolis aequatorialis Werner, 1894 based on analyses of the travel journals of their original collector. 

Perceptual mechanism for vocal individual recognition in jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos): contact call signature and discrimination

Behaviour ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 147 (8) ◽  
pp. 1051-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Individual Recognition ◽  
Complex Societies ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Discrimination Ability ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Corvus Macrorhynchos ◽  
Perceptual Mechanism

AbstractIn long-range fission-fusion complex societies, individuals are often recognized by audiovocal signals because of long-range propagation. The signature voice system is a well-known mechanism involving both acoustic individuality of a certain call type and discrimination ability. Previous studies on vocal individual recognition of birds have emphasized its involvement in breeding contexts such as mate, parent and offspring, and territorial-neighbour recognition. However, there has been less focus on the recognition of non-breeding flock members despite the socio-ecological demand of such ability in the complex social lives of highly social birds including corvids. Here we report a signature voice system in jungle crows by showing both acoustic individuality of contact calls and discrimination ability. We first performed a discriminant functional analysis on contact ka calls of five crows to examine their discriminatory potential and demonstrate inter-individual distinctions. We next used an operant conditioning to verify the perceptual ability to discriminate non-breeding familiar conspecifics based on ka calls. Four of the five crows successfully transferred discrimination of individual calls to the novel ka calls. Our results provide the first evidence of a signature voice system as a perceptual mechanism for individual recognition of familiar individuals in non-breeding flocks of a highly social crow.

scholarly journals Immune-challenged vampire bats produce fewer contact calls

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Stockmaier ◽  
Daniel. I. Bolnick ◽  
Rachel. A. Page ◽  
Darija Josic ◽  
Gerald G. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Sickness Behavior ◽  
Immune Challenge ◽  
Mate Attraction ◽  
Call Structure ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Social Encounters

AbstractInfections can affect how animals vocalize and, hence, interact with conspecifics. While this effect has been shown for mate-attraction calls, other vocalizations that facilitate social contact have received less attention. When isolated, vampire bats produce contact calls which attract highly associated groupmates. Here, we test the effect of an immune challenge on contact calling rates of individually isolated vampire bats. Sickness behavior did not appear to change call structure, but it decreased the number of contact calls produced. This effect could decrease contact with groupmates and augment other established mechanisms by which sickness reduces social encounters (e.g. mortality, lethargy, and social withdrawal or disinterest).

scholarly journals Group Living in the Black-Breasted Wood-Quail and the Use of Playbacks as a Survey Technique

The Condor ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda M. Hale
Keyword(s):  
New World ◽  
Group Structure ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Survey Technique ◽  
One Year ◽  
Remnant Forest

Abstract I used playbacks of recorded group song to survey and capture Black-breasted Wood-Quail (Odontophorus leucolaemus), a cloud forest endemic, in Monteverde, Costa Rica. This species is abundant in the dense understory of large windbreaks, forest fragments, and continuous forest of the Monteverde Reserve Complex. Mean covey size was four adults (range = 2–9 adults) and mean density, which did not differ between fragmented and continuous forest, was one covey per 3.3 ha. Wood-Quail defended all-purpose group territories and coveys persisted from one year to the next, indicating a group structure that is very different from what is found in most New World quail. A peak in breeding activity occurred at the transition from the wet to the dry season and larger groups produced significantly more juveniles than smaller groups in this population. Playbacks were a useful technique for detecting Black-breasted Wood-Quail; coveys responded to 65% of survey attempts by chorus and approach. By repeating the survey just three times, I was able to detect 91% ± 5% of all coveys that were known from extensive searches to occur in the remnant forest patches of the Monteverde community. The year-round sociality that is seen in this species is due in part to the retention of young on the natal territory beyond the age of sexual maturity. The intriguing relationship between group size and reproductive success in this population suggests the wood-quail may provide the first demonstration of a cooperative breeding system in the Galliformes.

The cessation of contact calls does not provoke or modulate alarm behaviour in a social passerine

Behaviour ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Estelle Meaux ◽  
Chao He ◽  
Luying Qin ◽  
Eben Goodale
Keyword(s):  
Social Factors ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Alarm Call ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Playback Experiments ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Alarm Calling ◽  
Alarm Behaviour ◽  
Contact Calls ◽  
Crucial Information

Abstract Vocalizations that signal predation risk such as alarm calls provide crucial information for the survival of group-living individuals. However, alarm calling may attract the predator’s attention and, to avoid this cost, animals can opt for alternative strategies to indicate danger, such as ‘adaptive silence’, which is the cessation of vocalizations. We investigate here whether abrupt contact call cessation would provoke alarm responses, or would reinforce the signal given by an alarm call. In an aviary setting, we conducted playback experiments with a group-living passerine, the Swinhoe’s white-eye, Zosterops simplex. We found that birds did not respond to a sudden call cessation, nor did they have a stronger response to alarm calls followed by silence than to alarm calls followed by contact calls. Confirming previous work investigating contact call rate, it appears that in this species contact calls encode information about social factors but not environmental conditions.

scholarly journals How Ecocentrism and Anthropocentrism Influence Human–Environment Relationships in a Kenyan Biodiversity Hotspot

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 8213
Author(s):  
Jana Rülke ◽  
Marco Rieckmann ◽  
Joslyn Muthio Nzau ◽  
Mike Teucher
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Taita Hills ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

Protecting nature and securing human livelihood needs are very conflicting especially in biodiversity-rich areas of the Global South. The Taita Hills Cloud Forest (THCF) in Kenya remains one of the top biodiversity hotspots worldwide. Environmental data for the area has been studied for decades. Sociodemographic analyses on inequality have been conducted by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Little has been done yet to correlate them to investigate their relationships. A lot of attention has been paid to the connection between agricultural practices and impacts on the environment, but human–environment relationships are much more complex, especially in Kenya’s biodiversity-rich areas. This paper assesses the local population’s perception of its surrounding environment and investigates their understanding of nature conservation. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, 300 survey respondents were classified concerning their nature ethical views (particularly anthropocentrism and ecocentrism). By using grounded theory, data were regularly reviewed during the entire research, to assemble an evaluable and comparable dataset. Our study reveals that gender has a distinct impact on whether the interviewees have an anthropocentric or ecocentric perspective of nature and conservation. Moreover, there is a strong need for an intermediate bridge between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism.

scholarly journals Genetic, but Not Behavioral, Evidence Supports the Distinctiveness of the Mealy Amazon Parrot in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Dominique L. Hellmich ◽  
Andre B. S. Saidenberg ◽  
Timothy F. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Genetic Relationships ◽  
South American ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
Species Status ◽  
Contact Call ◽  
Call Structure ◽  
Full Species ◽  
Conservation And Management

The presence of unidentified cryptic species within a species complex can obscure demographic trends of vulnerable species, impacting potential species conservation and management decisions. Previous work identified a taxonomic split between Central and South American populations of the mealy amazon (Amazona farinosa) that subsequently resulted in the elevation of these two populations to full species status (Amazona guatemalae and A. farinosa, respectively). In that study, however, a third, geographically disjunct population from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest was insufficiently sampled, limiting the ability of researchers to fully evaluate its genetic distinctiveness. Given that significant levels of biodiversity and endemism are found in this region, we aimed to use genetic and behavioral data to determine if the Atlantic Forest population of A. f. farinosa represents a third cryptic species within the complex. We sequenced 6 genes (4 mitochondrial and 2 nuclear introns) from the Atlantic Forest population of A. f. farinosa to measure the genetic relationships between this population and all other recognized species and subspecies of the mealy amazon. In addition, we use spectrographic cross-correlation and an analysis of 29 acoustic parameters to determine whether the taxa diverge in their learned contact call structure and if the degree of vocal differentiation correlates to genetic structure. We found that the Atlantic Forest population of A. f. farinosa was genetically distinct from that of the greater Amazon basin, but the degree of differentiation was less than that separating the Central and South American taxa. Acoustic analysis revealed substantial variation in contact call structure within each clade. This variation created substantial overlap in acoustic space between the clades. In all, the degree of call divergence between clades did not correspond to the degree of genetic divergence between the same clades. The results suggest that in taxa with substantial geographic variation in learned calls, such as the mealy amazon, vocalizations may not be a useful tool in the identification of cryptic species that are lifelong vocal learners. While these results do not support the elevation of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest population of the mealy amazon to full species status, given current trends of habitat loss in the Atlantic Forest as well as the imperiled status of large parrot species globally, we argue that this population nonetheless warrants special conservation and management consideration as a pool of unique genetic diversity within the southern mealy amazon species.

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