Análise temporal do padrão de atividades de um grupo de ateles belzebuth (primates: atelidae) no zoológico CIGS, Manaus-AM

Abstract

The primates behavioural research in captivity is fundamental to comprehension of the wildlife dynamics, welfare keeping in captivity and management and conservation of species. Aiming at this, this research had the objective to analyse the behavioural pattern of primates in captivity of the specie Ateles belzebuth, with emphasis in the activity pattern through time by seasonal observations in distinct hours of the day. Three adult subjects, 1 male and 2 females, of a group that lived in captivity in Zoo CIGS were studied, each individual had 10 days of observation by season – wet and dry of 2022. The behaviours were recorded through the focal animal continuum method between 08:00 to 11:00 and 13:30 to 16:30. To statistical analyses the test Wilcoxon was used, with the level of significance set at lower than 0,05. Observations were made on a total of 360 hours and the results reveal that in different hours of the day, part of the behaviours showed significant differences so as foraging (Wet: W=259, p<0,05; Dry: W=2027, p<0,05) and feeding (Wet: W=1934, p<0,05; Dry: W=1881, p<0,05) with the largest duration during the morning during both seasons, while locomotion (Wet: W= 996, p<0,05; Dry: W= 1339, p<0,05) and stereotypes (Wet: W=487, p>0,05; Dry: W=223, p<0,05) showed largest durations by the afternoon or both. In the seasonality, social (Morning: W=1253, p>0,05; Afternoon: W=1986, p<0,05) and foragin (Morning: W=2203, p>0,05; Afternoon: W=1823, p <0,05) presents largest duration on wet season, while stereotypes (Morning: W=415, p>0,05; Afternoon: W=151, p<0,05) show largest duration on dry season during the afternoon. From the results, it is suggested that the behaviour of the A. belzebuth shows variations through the hours of the day and seasonality, what can contribute to comprehension of the management of the specie in captivity, and with knowledge about the basics behaviour of this important amazon primate. Keywords: cronobiology; amazon primates; behavioral rhythms; daily rhythms; seasonality.