Student resource - 10 minute Animal Behaviour sampling video

This is a 10 minute practice video suitable for students learning the methods used in the study of animal behaviour.

If you use this video for a class, we'll be very happy! Please tell us by leaving a comment or sending a message. Especially if you are a teacher or lecturer!

The monkeys are the 'East Group' at the Living Links to Human Evolution Research Centre in Edinburgh Zoo. There are brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) and common squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) living together in a mixed group (more information on the Living Links youtube channel and website www.living-links.org).

The video is useful for trying out many different sampling techniques on individuals (the alpha male capuchin 'Popeye' is labelled throughout) or on groups. There are a number of different foraging, feeding and social behaviours featured, including a brief bit of courtship from one of our adult females (recognisable in this video because they have babies on their backs).

The boxes were put into the enclosures by the keepers, they contain straw and some of the monkeys preferred foods.

It is recommended that students watch the video first to develop some research questions, and then an ethogram (a list of behaviours) before starting to collect data. Methods for behavioural sampling can be found in:

Altmann J. 1974. Observational study of behavior: sampling methods. Behaviour 49: 227-267 [reprinted in Foundations of Animal Behavior, L.D. Houck & L.C. Drickamer, eds. U Chicago Press, 1996].
PDF here:
http://www.princeton.edu/~baboon/publications/1974Behav49.pdf

Martin, P. & Bateson. P. (2007) Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide. 3rd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• scan
• focal
• sampling
• animal
• behaviour
• data
• collection
• student
• resources

[offleashdog]

Used this video in my course "Animals in Our Own Backyard: The Science of Observing Behavior" at Columbia Univ. Thanks!

[LivingLinksCentre]

@offleashdog That's great! Thanks for letting us know.

[zongolika]

when and who, other member the group fight for the control the group and the females?

[LivingLinksCentre]

@zongolika only when one of the other males is bigger and stronger than Popeye are they likely to fight. At this stage the zoo will probably move one of the males to avoid any problems. Sometimes it is possible to but the 'loser' back into the group where he will have a lower rank. This is what happened when Popeye took over the group from Maurice at Living Links. In the wild young males will leave their group and look for new groups to take over - thats when they will fight.

[adedeck2]

what program are you using to keep track of your focal animal?

[LivingLinksCentre]

@adedeck2 you mean to make Popeye's name follow him around? Final Cut Pro - just basic movement, but it takes a long time to render - which is why they don't all have labels!

[zongolika]

@LivingLinksCentre thank´s very interesant...