FACTORS INFLUENCING STEREOTYPED BEHAVIOR OF PRIMATES IN A ZOO

Stereotyped behavior is the uniform repetition of a motor pattern that occurs at a higher frequency than considered typical for a species wh en observed in a natural environment. Stereotypies may be considered a typical behavior and usually indicate that an animal's psychological w elfare is at a suboptimal level. Instantaneous scans at 30-sec interva ls during 20-min observation periods were conducted on eight primate s pecies at the St. Louis Zoo to determine frequency of occurrence of st ereotyped behavior. Results indicated that many biotic and abiotic fac tors were related to the frequency of stereotyped behavior by captive primates, although rearing method was more important than present envi ronmental conditions. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.