Schreier Amy, Swedell Larissa
Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York 10016, USA.
Am J Primatol. 2008 Feb;70(2):107-13. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20465.
Hamadryas baboons sleep on cliffs throughout their range, and this can be attributed to the safety cliffs provide against predators in the absence of tall trees. In this paper, we report the first documented occurrence of hamadryas baboons sleeping in doum palm trees rather than on cliffs. Data derive from a study of hamadryas baboons at the Filoha site in lowland Ethiopia. During all-day follows, data were collected on travel patterns, band activity, and location. Variation in the baboons' home range was characterized using vegetation transects. We discovered that one band in this population, Band 3, occasionally slept in doum palm trees (Hyphaene thebaica). The palm tree sleeping site differed from other palm fragments in the baboons' home range in that it contained a higher density of palm trees. Possible factors influencing this unique use of palm trees as a sleeping site include access to palm fruit, avoiding contact with Afar nomads, avoiding sharing sleeping cliffs with other bands, protection from predators, and the lack of cliffs in a section of the baboons' home range. Evidence from this study suggests that the palm tree sleeping site is used because it affords better protection from predators than other palm fragments in an area of the band's home range that does not contain cliffs.
阿拉伯狒狒在其整个活动范围内都在悬崖上睡觉，这可以归因于在没有高大树木的情况下，悬崖能为它们提供抵御捕食者的安全保障。在本文中，我们报告了首次有记录的阿拉伯狒狒睡在海枣树上而非悬崖上的情况。数据来源于对埃塞俄比亚低地菲洛哈地区阿拉伯狒狒的一项研究。在全天跟踪过程中，收集了关于它们的活动模式、群体活动和位置的数据。利用植被样带对狒狒活动范围的变化进行了特征描述。我们发现这个群体中的一个群体，即第3群体，偶尔会睡在海枣（刺葵）树上。该棕榈树睡眠地点与狒狒活动范围内的其他棕榈林片段不同，因为它的棕榈树密度更高。影响这种独特地将棕榈树用作睡眠地点的可能因素包括获取棕榈果、避免与其他群体接触、避免与其他群体共用睡眠悬崖、抵御捕食者以及狒狒活动范围内某一区域没有悬崖。这项研究的证据表明，使用棕榈树睡眠地点是因为在该群体活动范围内没有悬崖的区域，它比其他棕榈林片段能提供更好的抵御捕食者的保护。
