Behavioral Patterns and Space Use in Winter of Captive Guizhou Snub-Nosed Monkeys: A Case Study

Abstract

The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi), a critically endangered primate endemic to China’s Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, faces severe population decline, with fewer than 850 individuals remaining in the wild. As a high-altitude species adapted to long, snowy winters, its survival depends on behavioral thermoregulation and energy conservation. However, how these behaviors are expressed in captivity remains unclear. To examine behavioral responses to cold conditions, we analyzed the daily activity rhythms and spatial preferences of R. brelichi under winter conditions. Continuous focal observations and instantaneous scan sampling (every 60 s, 07:00–20:00) were conducted across three consecutive snowy days. The monkeys spent most of their time in sleep, with additional time devoted to awake thermoregulatory behaviors. Spatial use was uneven, with outdoor platform most utilized and indoor ground areas least used. Activity showed distinct daily rhythms, with locomotion peaking in the early morning and evening, and foraging con-centrated in the late afternoon. Spatial behavior also displayed cyclical patterns, including consistent outdoor platform use and bimodal reliance on indoor foraging and ground areas. These findings provide the first detailed behavioral and spatial profile of R. brelichi in winter captivity, revealing short-term behavioral adjustments to cold conditions and highlighting constraints imposed by enclosure design. The results offer baseline data for improving welfare and enclosure management for this and other cold-adapted primates.