Radespiel U, Cepok S, Zietemann V, Zimmermann E
Institute of Zoology, Tieraerztliche Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
Am J Primatol. 1998;46(1):77-84. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2345(1998)46:1<77::AID-AJP6>3.0.CO;2-S.
Sleeping sites are a potentially important resource for grey mouse lemurs since they are confronted with high daily temperature fluctuations and a high predation pressure. In order to determine the existence and degree of resource competition, sleeping site characteristics, locations, and usage patterns as well as sleeping group compositions were investigated in a 3 month field study in a dry deciduous forest of northwestern Madagascar. The daily sleeping sites of females were on average better insulated and safer than those of males. Males used more sleeping sites and changed the site more often than females. During the whole study, males slept alone, whereas the females formed stable sleeping groups in on average 83.7% of the days. Sex-specific differences in usage patterns might be explained by intersexual resource competition and female dominance and could possibly be related to differential parental investment of the sexes. The underlying study indicates that sleeping sites may be a restricted and defendable resource for grey mouse lemurs. The investigation gives new insights into the distribution patterns and social organization of this species.
睡眠场所对灰鼠狐猴来说是一种潜在的重要资源，因为它们面临着每日气温的大幅波动和较高的捕食压力。为了确定资源竞争的存在及程度，在马达加斯加西北部一片干燥落叶林中进行了为期3个月的实地研究，调查了睡眠场所的特征、位置、使用模式以及睡眠群体的组成。雌性的日常睡眠场所平均比雄性的更具隔热性且更安全。雄性使用的睡眠场所更多，且比雌性更频繁地更换睡眠地点。在整个研究期间，雄性独自睡觉，而雌性在平均83.7%的日子里形成稳定的睡眠群体。使用模式上的性别差异可能是由两性间的资源竞争和雌性主导地位所导致的，并且可能与两性不同的亲代投资有关。该基础研究表明，睡眠场所可能是灰鼠狐猴的一种有限且可防御的资源。这项调查为该物种的分布模式和社会组织提供了新的见解。
