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Bioacoustic characterization of the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) vocal repertoire

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Abstract

Ruffed lemurs (Varecia spp.) exhibit a unique suite of behavioral traits compared to other lemur species, which includes their fluid fission–fusion social dynamics, communal rearing of parked litters, and pronounced frugivory in their humid rainforest habitats. Given these traits, and the dense rainforests they inhabit, vocal communication may be key to maintaining social cohesion, coordinating infant care, and/or defending their high-quality food resources. Indeed, they are known for their raucous ‘roar-shriek’ calls. However, there has been surprisingly little research on vocal communication in Varecia species and only two previously published repertoires, both of which were qualitative descriptions of their calls. In this study, we quantitatively examined the vocal repertoire of wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) at Mangevo, Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. We characterized 11 call types using 33 bioacoustic parameters related to frequency, duration, tonality, and composition. We also used discriminant function analysis and hierarchical clustering to quantitatively and objectively classify call types within the black-and-white ruffed lemur vocal repertoire. The repertoire consists of both monosyllabic and multisyllabic calls that are individually given or emitted in contagious choruses. Eight of the 11 calls were also used in combination or in larger multi-call sequences. The discriminant function analysis correctly assigned call types with 87% success, though this varied greatly by call type (1–65%). Hierarchical clustering identified 3–4 robust clusters, indicating low clustering structure in the data and suggesting that V. variegata exhibits a graded vocal repertoire. Future work should consider the environmental and behavioral contexts in which calls are used to better understand the function of these call types and combinations.

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Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].

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Acknowledgements

We thank our local guide, Ezafy, and cook, Tolotra, without whom this project could not have been completed. We thank the Centre ValBio staff for their extensive logistical support. Ford, Noro, and the Mangevo field teams were great campmates and helpful with trouble-shooting. MICET provided vital documentation facilitation. CB thanks undergraduate interns/trainees Phoebe Halper, Eunice Ng, Aeja Rosette, Gabriela Galindo, and Charlene Lopez for their incredible work processing and annotating spectrograms.

Funding

This study was generously funded by the CUNY Graduate Center Provost’s Office through its Digital Innovations Grant and Predoctoral Research Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, The CUNY Graduate Center, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    C. H. Batist & A. L. Baden

  2. New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA

    C. H. Batist & A. L. Baden

  3. Department of Animal Biology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar

    M. N. Razafindraibe

  4. Centre ValBio, Ranomafana, Madagascar

    F. Randriamanantena

  5. Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    A. L. Baden

  6. Institut International de Science Sociale, Antananarivo, Madagascar

    M. N. Razafindraibe

  7. Rainforest Connection (RFCx), Katy, TX, USA

    C. H. Batist

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  1. C. H. Batist
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  2. M. N. Razafindraibe
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  3. F. Randriamanantena
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Correspondence to C. H. Batist.

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Ethical approval

The research herein adheres to the American Society of Primatologists’ Principles for the Ethical Treatment of Primates and was approved by Hunger College’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC; protocol: AB-RuffedLemur-2.22). CB had a scientific research visa from the US-Malagasy Embassy. Madagascar National Parks provided research permits (#109).

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Batist, C.H., Razafindraibe, M.N., Randriamanantena, F. et al. Bioacoustic characterization of the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) vocal repertoire. Primates 64, 621–635 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-023-01083-8

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