Science Diary: Monkeys - Howler Crop Raiders: The Pulse of the Planet daily radio program offers free legal online mp3 downloads, exploring the world of sound in nature, culture and science, with audio adventures, world music, extraordinary sound portraits, science diaries, and nature ring-tones; an amazing sonic experience.



Airdate: Dec 29, 2008
Scientist: Tracie McKinney

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 ANIMALS ,Monkeys ,Adaptation ,Farming


Science Diary: Monkeys - Howler Crop Raiders

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Humans aren't the only species to enjoy seasonal fruit. During Costa Rica's short mango season, howler monkeys take full advantage.
Transcript:

music; ambience howler monkeys

Youre hearing a troupe of mantled howler monkeys. They are in a mango plantation, where they raid the crops and they enjoy mangos for about six weeks out of the year.

Welcome to Pulse of the Planets Science Diaries, a glimpse of the world of science from the inside. Earthwatch scientist Tracy McKinney studies howler monkeys in the forests of Costa Rica.

[ambience: howlers]

Theyre calling right now in response to another troupe of monkeys that are fairly nearby, and the reason howlers call most of the time is as a form of territorial defense. They have to minimize their energy expenditure, because theyre mostly leaf eaters. So they dont want to waste time running around defending their territory. So they use vocalizations instead. And so these calls pretty much mean, These are our mangos. Stay out. The softer ooh-ooh-ooh sound that hes making right now probably has as much to do with me and the tourists who just came by and the dog whos hanging out here as with the monkeys. Its more of a slight stress call.

[monkeys give a slight stress call]

This is an excellent example of monkeys living in a human-altered environment. Theyre living right in the middle of a mango plantation. These are not the types of trees monkeys would normally deal with in the wild. Theyre all the same tree; theres no real diversity here. But theyre making use of this for the few weeks of the year that mangos are in season. The monkeys are right here, and they forage as much as they can. So even though theyre mostly leaf eaters, howlers will take a lot of fruit, because its high in calories, high in sugar. Its a good food for them if its available. And so they take advantage of it.

This strategy has helped the howlers survive in spite of the deforestation of their natural habitat.

Pulse of the Planets Science Diaries are made possible by the National Science Foundation. Im Jim Metzner.







 
Science Diary: Monkeys - Howler Crop Raiders