title: Ground use by northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus).
abstract: Many arboreal primates descend to the ground, a custom that may occur more frequently in disturbed habitats, and in the presence of researchers to whom the primates are habituated. In this paper, we describe opportunistic observations of ground use in two groups of northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) at the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Members of both groups were observed drinking, resting, feeding, playing, and traveling on the ground to different degrees, and variation in the levels of habituation of the two groups may be responsible for the differences in the distribution of their terrestrial activities. The potential increase in vulnerability to predation or disease owing to ground use has implications for the conservation of this critically endangered species.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil.
authors.forename: Italo M C
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Mourthé
authors.forename: Danusa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.forename: Janaína
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fidelis
authors.forename: Jean P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Boubli
authors.forename: Sérgio L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Strier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053819:Atelinae / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D019370:Observation; D014197:Trees; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*