Commented Ethogram for Cercopithecus mitis

This ethogram lists and explains a majority of behaviors that can be observed in wild C. mitis. Those behaviors that are self-explanatory may lack a more detailed description. You may also want to check out the audio-visual guide for illustrations of selected behaviors.

Behavior Code Description
Affiliative Behavior
Approach ZU Moves from far to within 1 meter of other individual, and stays there for at least 2 seconds
Leaves LV Moves beyond 1 meter from other individual for at least 2 seconds
Presents for grooming PG Presenting body parts to someone (begging) for grooming
Initiates grooming IG  
Refuses to groom RF  
Grooms GR  
In progress IP You come across a social interaction while in progress, you did not see how it started (can be grooming, mating, aggression etc.)
Vice versa vv Denotes reciprocated grooming
Aggression
Avoid AV This is the weakest from of agonistic interactions. When an animal X clearly avoids getting too close to animal Y, showing signs of fear or anxiety without the Y displaying any kind of agonistic behavior towards it, then X would be said to have avoided Y
Fear grimace FG The lips are retracted so that the teeth are shown; the teeth are clenched together. This display functions as an appeasement signal to reduce aggression in aggressive encounters
Staring ST This display by the blue monkey is used as a threat display. The eyes are fixed on the stimulus and the eyebrows are raised and the scalp is retracted, the facial skin is also stretched by moving the ears back.
Staring with open mouth SO This is the stare accompanied by the mouth being open but the teeth are covered. This is a threat expression and often occurs with head-bobbing
Head-bobbing HB This is used as a threat display by the blue monkey and head bobs up and down. This often occurs with staring with open mouth
Yawning YA This is where the mouth is opened to reveal the canines, and is performed by the adult male. This is used as an expression of tension or as a threat display.
Threat TH Threats usually consist of raised eyebrows and open mouth/teeth display towards another animal. Sometimes this is accompanied by jerking movements towards the animal that is being threatened, looking like the animal wants to lunge at the other one any moment. The recipient of the threat may either withdraw or reciprocate the threat.
Supplant SP Animal moves fast to within 1 meter from an opponent, upon which the latter immediate increases the distance to its “attacker”to beyond 1 meter. No real aggression takes place here, but it can be counted as a decided agonism giving clues about the dominance relationship between the players.
Chase CH One animal chasing another
Hit HT Hitting or slapping the other with the hand
Bite BT Inflicting a bite
Context CT Reason for aggression if known (i.e. food – CTF, space – CTP, mates – CTM, social partner – CTS, access to infants – CTI). If reason is food, add another letter for Leaves (L), Fruits (F), Invertebrates (I), or other (O).
Inter-group encounters IE Describe in detail the location, as well as marking it on a map and/or describing its exact location with reference to landmarks. Were particular feeding trees involved? Were particular individuals involved? Were some individual NOT involved and who? Did one group prevail?
Vocalizations
Short Grunt GT Contact call given regularly, low volume
Long Grunt LGT Longer grunt, often preceding male boom calls and given by several females within seconds of each other, function unknown
Growl GW Aggressive call, done by dominant
Gecker GE Expression of fear and submission
Chirp CP Chirp call, given by females and juveniles, ground predator alarm (including humans). Sounds like a bird call.
Trill TR Done by juveniles, expression of fear
Scream SC Obvious
Boom BO Male call, very deep “boom” sound, barely audible
Pyow PY Territorial call of the group male
Ka K Predator alarm call, sounds like “Ka”
Ka-Train KT Long series of Ka repeated quickly, eagle alarm
Mating Behavior
Presenting PR Female presenting her hindquarters to a male. Can be either exaggerated or normal. In its extreme form, female rubs her butts literally under the nose of the male in an effort to get him to mount her.
Head flagging HF Done by male, quick repeated shaking of the head towards a female, exact purpose unknown, but often shown in relation to mating behavior (but also aggression).
Mount MT Mounting
Copulation CO Intromission, thrusting
Semen on vulva SOV If male ejaculated successfully, you will see semen sticking to the hairs on the butt of the female, which is white when fresh, but later turns to yellow (and can stay a day or longer before it disappears). Females need to be checked for the existence of SOV whenever possible, especially in the mating season or if they have been seen to follow or present to a male.
Semen on penis SOP Sometimes there is very little SOV, but SOP can confirm the successful copulation
Following FO Female follows closely after a male, i.e. male leaves, female follows, repeated over and over
Mother-infant and allocare
Infant suckles ON On nipple. It is actually impossible in most cases to tell if the infant is actually suckling or not, so we record when infants make contact with nipple – needs to be recorded in older infants only (>3 months), and will give an idea of weaning conflict between mother and infant together with rejections
Attempts nipple contact AT Infant tries to make nipple contact
Rejection RJ Mother rejects infant from making nipple contact, either by pushing it away after contact was already made, or preventing initial contact altogether. There are various subtle ways how mother can reject their infants, and some more obvious and aggressive ways
Retrieve RT Infant is retrieved either from a caretaker or picked up from its location by the mother. Mother needs to come from beyond 1 meter, approach infant and immediately pick it up (or infant clings voluntarily to mom).
Carried by others than mother AC Allocare. Infant is taken up and carried by someone other than the mother. ID or at least age class of caretaker
Infant handling IH Infant handled by others than mother while infant is on or in proximity to its mother. Handling can consist of simple touching the infant, smelling it, grooming the tail, or pulling it away from the mom
Kidnap KN Other than mother takes the infant away from mom and runs away from it. It is important to note the outcome in such cases, i.e. does the mother retrieve the infant after a short time, after how long?
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