Por el número de rizos

The frequent use of particular resting sites and travel routes during a month may be the result of the lemurs spending a large amount of time feeding in particular food trees i.e. localised feeding leading to localised resting and travelling. However, it may also be the result of the lemurs selecting particular resting sites and travel routes in preference to others. In order to detect whether the lemurs were selective in their choice of resting sites and travel routes, the frequency distributions for the number of times resting sites and travel routes were used d uring th e w h o le stu d y was compared w ith the frequency distributions expected if rest and travel were random within the group's territory. The

distribution of food during the course of the whole study will be more homogenous than monthly food distribution, therefore, the influence of food distribution on the distribution of resting sites and travel routes will be reduced.

9.3. RESULTS

9.3.1. Monthly distribution of resting sites outside food sources and travel routes

Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 18 shows the distribution of resting places, travel routes and food sources used by the focal animal during the months of January 1992, February 1992, March 1992 and August 1994

respectively. It is clear from the maps th a t resting sites and travel routes were not evenly distributed. A close association is evident between the distribution of resting sites and travel w ith the distribution of food sources. During August 1994, the distribution of resting sites and travel were particularly localised.

CO Oi D i s t r i b u t i o n o f f o o d s o u r c e s and r e s t i n g p l a c e s u s e d by M G r o u p i n J a n . 9 2 . ( t o t a l o b s . t i m e = 5 4 h r s ) Land - T r a i l s

O - Food t r e e s w ith va rio u s s iz e canopy

F ig . 16

D is t r ib u tio n o f food sources and re s tin g places used by M Group in Feb. 92.

( t o t a l obs. time = 38 hrs)

CO

Fig

17

CO

00

D is t r ib u t io n o f food sources and r e s tin g places used by M Group in Mar. 92.

( t o t a l obs. time = 57 hrs)

CO (O D i s t r i b u t i o n o f f o o d s o u r c e s an d r e s t i n g p l a c e s u s e d by M G ro u p i n A u g . 9 4 . ( t o t a l o b s . t i m e = 4 6 h r s ) Broup spent 7 4 .4 % of total feeding time exploiting these 3 Cryptocarya sp. trees

9 .3 .2 . Frequency of use of particular resting sites and travel routes during each month.

Table 27 sh o w s th e num ber o f resting sites located outside fo o d trees w h ic h w ere n o t used, used once, tw ic e and th ric e fo r each m onth o f th e s tu d y. The table also sh o w s th e num ber o f resting sites n o t used, used once, tw ic e and th ric e , expected if re st had been random w ith in the m o n th ly home range. The m o n th ly hom e range area during each o f th e m onths w as calculated fro m th e maps given in C hapter 10.

For fo u r m onth s th e num ber o f resting sites w h ic h w e re used repeatedly w as s ig n ific a n tly greater th a n expected if resting sites w e re chosen random ly. For th e rem aining m onth s there w a s no s ig n ific a n t diffe re n ce b e tw e e n th e observed and expected fre q u e n c y d istrib u tio n s. H ow ever, th e n on-significance o f th e d iffe re n ce b etw een th e tw o d istrib u tio n s m ay have been th e re sult o f th e sm all sam ple size.

Table 28 show s th e num ber tra il intervals w ith in th e m o n th ly home range o f th e group w h ic h th e fo ca l anim al w a s observed n o t to cross, cross once, tw ic e , th ric e e tc fo r each m onth. The table also sh o w s th e num ber o f tra il intervals n o t crossed, crossed once, tw ic e , th ric e etc expected if travel w ith in th e home range w as random . For six o f the tw e lv e m onth s some tra il intervals w e re crossed s ig n ific a n tly m ore fre q u e n tly th a n expected if tra ve l w e re random . It is notable th a t in th e fo u r m onths in w h ic h som e resting sites w e re used m ore fre q u e n tly than e xpected, som e tra il intervals w e re crossed m ore fre q u e n tly than

expected.

Table 27. Number of potential resting sites not used, used once, twice, and thrice during each month as observed and as expected if the use of a site for resting within the home range was random.

Month

(No. potential resting sites in home range)

OBSERVED