Life history variables of wild troops of formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) in Kenting,Taiwan |
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Authors: | Hai-yin Wu Yao-sung Lin |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China |
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Abstract: | A study on population dynamics of wild Formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) in Kenting, southern Taiwan, was conducted from March 1985 to August 1990. At first, only one monkey troop was studied.
It fissioned in 1987 and both of the daughter troops have been observed since then. Total number of animals increased from
10 to 29 over the years, but the sizes of individual troops have never been more than 20. Seasonality in breeding has been
detected: copulations were concentrated in the period from November to January and 75% of all the 28 births occurred between
April and June. Time of birth by parous females without offspring from the preceding year was earlier than that of lactating
females. Young females gave their first births at 4 or 5 years of age. Total birth rate over the study period was 0.8 infant
per female per year. Hunting was the main cause of death while natural mortality rate was low for the animals. There was only
one adult male in each troop for most of the time. Troop males in the two daughter troops have been replaced two or three
times in the three years by some solitary males that moved around in the area. The reproductive parameters of Formosan macaques
in Kenting were found to be more similar to that of rhesus monkeys than to Japanese macaques. And a case of higher reproductive
success in a high-ranking matriline was reported. |
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Keywords: | Formosan macaque Macaca cyclopis Life history variables |
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