Red-Tailed Monkey Behavioural Ecology 

We are asking some of the same questions about red-tailed monkeys as we are about yellow baboons. However, because red-tailed monkeys are largely forest-dwelling animals, we are especially interested in their behavioural responses brought about as a result of living in the dry, mosaic habitat of Issa.

    For example, what are the effects of seasonality on ranging behaviour and diet? In large tropical rainforests, switching to fallback foods may be relatively easy for red-tail monkeys, as large forests contain a greater diversity of foods. Conversely, savanna environments where monkeys are restricted to riverine forest strips like at Issa present a novel challenge to red-tail monkeys. Food is widely distributed and there may be fewer overall foods available during certain times of year. Work led by Ed McLester (here) is beginning to address these questions and reveal the costs of being a riverine red-tailed monkey!