10.5061/DRYAD.7N6F407
Baden, Andrea L.
Queens College, CUNY
City University of New York
Data from: A description of nesting behaviors, including factors impacting
nest site selection, in black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata)
Dryad
dataset
2019
strepsirrhines
crèche
lemuriform
Madagascar
communal breeding
infant parking
Holocene
Varecia variegata
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
BSC-0725975
2019-01-04T22:12:05Z
2019-01-04T22:12:05Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4735
40166 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Nest site selection is at once fundamental to reproduction and a poorly
understood component of many organisms’ reproductive investment. This
study investigates the nesting behaviors of black-and-white ruffed lemurs,
Varecia variegata, a litter-bearing primate from the southeastern
rainforests of Madagascar. Using a combination of behavioral, geospatial,
and demographic data, I test the hypotheses that environmental and social
cues influence nest site selection, and that these decisions ultimately
impact maternal reproductive success. Gestating females built multiple
large nests throughout their territories. Of these, females used only a
fraction of the originally constructed nests, as well as several parking
locations as infants aged. Nest construction was best predicted by
environmental cues, including the size of the nesting tree and density of
feeding trees within a 75 m radius of the nest, whereas nest use depended
largely on the size and average distance to feeding trees within that same
area. Microhabitat characteristics were unrelated to whether females built
or used nests. Although unrelated to nest site selection, social cues,
specifically the average distance to conspecifics’ nest and park sites,
were related to maternal reproductive success; mothers whose litters were
parked in closer proximity to others’ nests experienced higher infant
survival than those whose nests were more isolated. This is likely because
nesting proximity facilitated communal crèche use by neighboring females.
Together, these results suggest a complex pattern of nesting behaviors
that involves females strategically building nests in areas with high
potential resource abundance, using nests in areas according to their
realized productivity, and communally rearing infants within a network of
nests distributed throughout the larger communal territory.
Baden_VvNesting_MicrohabitatMicrohabitat data from control and nest/park
sitesBaden_VvNesting_Total_nest_locationsUTM locations for all nest and
park sites included in this study, along with the identity for who
constructed nest sites, whether nest/park sites were used, and if used,
whether sites were used singly or communally, and the number and
identities of users.
Madagascar