Factors influencing the success of male introductions into groups of female rhesus macaques: Introduction technique, male characteristics and female behavior.

ABSTRACT: In captive populations of rhesus macaques, novel adult males are commonly introduced to female groups every few years to prevent inbreeding, which mimics male dispersal in wild macaque populations. However, introducing adult males is challenging because macaques are aggressive to newcomers, which can result in serious injuries. Efforts to reduce trauma risk during the introduction process and increase the probability of success are needed. Here we investigate the impact of multiple factors, including male attributes (e.g., age, weight, rank, and experience), introduction method (punctuated vs. continual exposure to females), and female behavior, on males' trauma risk and integration success. We studied eight introductions of multimale cohorts (3-7 males each; N = 36 total) into existing fe

SUBMITTER: Beisner BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8996284 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature