This picture is of a pied tamarin. They are native to South America.Wildlife Conservation Society finds wild cat mimicking monkey calls
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) have discovered a wild cat species imitating the call of its prey, a small monkey the size of a squirrel called the pied tamarin. They have heard reports of such happenings by the natives of the region, but have not been able to record it in action. They finally were able to record it in the Reserva Florestal Alsolpho Ducke in Brazil.
The first recorded incident in 2005 went a little something like this: a group of eight pied tamarins were feeding in a fiscus tree, when they heard the calls coming from a margay behind a tangle of vines. (The sounds the margay made were similar to those made by baby tamarin monkeys.) A “sentential” tamarin went down to investigate, and once he discovered the source of the cries, he sent up an alarm to warn the other monkeys to flee.
Even though this particular occurrence was futile, the scientists were astonished by the “ingenuity of the hunting strategy.” Dr. Avecita Chicchón said, "This observation further proves the reliability of information obtained from Amazonian inhabitants; this means that accounts of jaguars and pumas using the same vocal mimicry to attract prey--but not yet recorded by scientists--also deserve investigation."
The WSC is currently observing the species of this population because they are listed as “endangered” on the IUCN’s Red List and is looking for financial support to carry on the study.
Questions:
1.How do you think the cats were able to distinguish and recreate the sounds of the tamarins?
2. Do you think that this is an adaptation that the cats have developed? Or have they always been able to make these sounds?
3. Do you think that any other animals use this trait for hunting? Which ones?
I think that the way the wild cats are mimicking the monkey sounds is extremely smart. By doing that the cats do not have to work as hard to capture their prey, but not having to work hard can completely change the way each animal lives. To keep the monkeys from being over eaten and eventually extinct they will have to adapted and go through natural selection.
ReplyDelete2.) The sounds that the cats make has definitely developed over time because researchers would have found out about them before now. Also, the cats would have to listen to the monkeys for a while to be able to effectively make the sound and that is something that is something that the cats cannot be born with.
3.) I do not think that other animals used the mimicking sounds to capture prey.
Question
1.) Do you think that the Monkeys will die out over time or learn to adapt?
I think it's interesting that the wild animals are intelligent enough to mimic another species' call in order to throw of animals. Additionally, I think it's even more interesting that the tamarins were perceptive enough to pick up on the sound. I wonder if the jaguars and pumas that the doctor mentioned also use this tactic. Moreover, I wonder if it's an adaptation that the species have acquired, or if they have had it all along.
ReplyDeleteExpansion: http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/Animal/Monkeys/Tamarin-Monkey-1-1HRMPEPY9A-1024x768.jpg
That's a picture of a tamarin. I attached it to show to strange coloring on the head. I wonder if this is a structural adaptation that helps them hide from their prey.