Wednesday, May 7, 2014


LEMUR-Lemurs live in "dry woodlands of Western Madagascar." The woodlands have a dry climate with a time where the season is dry. Lemurs live in groups that can have up to twenty five in a group.  They are quick to claim their territory and will fight other groups for their area which could be from fifteen to twenty acres.  The lemur is an animal that is very socially active. In these animals' groups females are the ones that have the power. The females stay in the group they were born into and the males leave once they are developed enough to mate. Social standing is seen among the lemur, but when it comes to mating the lower standing males have the same opportunity to mate as those lemurs with higher power. The lemur is very social animal and they live in large groups and being social can be a useful thing to the lemur to help it survive because the Woodlands of Madagascar is a habitat for many animals and they would need to fight together for what they claim to be theirs since they are such a small animal.


SPIDER MONKEY- The spider monkey is an arboreal creature that lives in the Evergreen forests of Central and South America. The Evergreen forest is a very tropical place it receives much rainfall throughout the year and there is never a time where there is "frost" or "drought." Spider monkeys live in groups that are not particularly too big. They will have a few members of the group and some stray away from the group but they do not go far away from their group. This animal specifically does not have an attachment between the parental figures and the offspring. This feature has came about (evolved) due to the feeding patterns that they have. When there is scarcity in food the spider monkey is not likely to live in a big group because the seeds they need to survive are scarce. Females have the power within the groups as well because they are able to find food more effectively than males. Females are sexually developed at four years of age and males at five. The spider monkey breeds all year round. It is likely that the spider monkey breeds all year round because they only produce one offspring at a time and in order to keep the species alive they must produce offspring.

BABOON- The baboon is an animal that adapts almost anywhere. It has inhabited almost every type of environment in Africa and Arabia. Usually they live in the Savannah which is a grassland that does not have much rainfall during the year. It has trees and shrubs that are far from each other. The baboon is also a very social animal but the special thing about this animal is that they form special bonds with one another. Usually the bonds that the females have are in their family, in their group, or they form friendships with other baboons of the other sex which helps them with protection and grooming. In having these relationships with one another baboons groom each other. Male Baboons are less social than females especially with their same gender. They compete for power position because the "alpha" male would be the one to have the first pick in the "ovulating" females. Baboons have different sexual partners they are not monogamous. They usually have a time in which two mates pair together and mate during that time and that is a time where the male does not let any other male try and mate with his female partner. The baboon had difficulty when their original habitat was becoming more and more scarce and that is probably the reason why they have developed to be able to live almost anywhere.



GIBBON-
 The gibbon lives in South East Asia in the tropical rain forests. Their territory is usually about thirty to fifty acres. The gibbon is a social animal that is family oriented. The gibbon mates with one partner for life and lives with their partner and their children. They use calls in the morning to warn others to stay away from the food and their area. Females usually give birth to only one baby at a time. Since the Gibbon is able to use their calls to warn others to stay away that is what probably helps them survive and stay with their family instead of living with others. 

CHIMPANZEE-The chimpanzee lives in forest areas in Africa in Guinea, Tanzania, and Uganda. They usually live in rain forests and wet savannas. They spend time in trees and on land but the majority of their necessities they take care of in the trees. Chimpanzees also live in large groups that have up to eighty chimpanzees. Chimpanzees also hold hands and kiss when they see each other. The females are very motherly with their babies and they usually help each other. The adult chimpanzees usually have a friend that they spend a lot of time with. The mating habits of the chimpanzee are that they are not monogamous. The females mate with more than one male when they are the most fertile. There is also males,the ones with the most power that do not allow the other males to be with the female.Females also go to other groups and find a male to mate with in other groups as well. The chimpanzees probably adapted to live in large groups to benefit themselves to be able to help each other in daily activities and keep each other company.

Much of the environment has effect on the behavioral traits that the animals have because living incertain conditions the animals need more help than they could provide for themselves to survive.


2 comments:

  1. Artillery,
    I had to look on our worksheet from your last name to find out which trait you were doing, I assume now it's Sociality and Mating Patterns? n my research on these animals I find it fascinating that some of them are like Penguins, they never leave their mates side once found. Not to mention some chose their mates based on strong physical characteristics, it reminds me of us humans, we all go for the "strong" characteristics, but I think we do it more for social and attraction reasons, and not so much because we worry about our offspring. Just my own opinion ;)

    Good post!

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  2. First of all, love the images!

    This can be a very difficult trait in which to find the connection between the trait pattern and the environment, but you did a very good job nearly throughout. It was obvious that you kept that intent in mind when you were researching the primates, trying to see how these traits would be advantageous in their given environment.

    The only place you fell a little short was with the gibbons. The monogamy they practice is usually advantageous where resources are distributed evenly and not easy to control, where territoriality won't be viable.

    While I see where you are going with chimpanzees, the size of their grouping is probably due to their need for territoriality to control resources for their group. The group size will be dictated by the optimum resources they can control. Too big a group and they have to control too large a territory. Too small a group and they won't be able to defend enough territory.

    Otherwise, well done.

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