A BRIEF REPORT ON THE SOCIAL-BEHAVIOR OF THE CRESTED MANGABEY (CERCOCEBUS-GALERITUS-GALERITUS) WITH A COMPARISON TO THE SOOTY MANGABEY (C-TORQUATUS-ATYS)

A group of 38 free ranging crested mangabeys in the Tana River Primate Reserve was studied over a 6-week period for a total of 209.5 hr and behavioral comparisons made to a captive group of sooty mangabeys. Alt hough quantitative comparisons between these two mangabey species are not possible, the present data suggest that these geographically separ ated mangabeys share several behavioral similarities. Copulatory behav ior in both species involved a pattern of female darting and female vo calizing following the mount by the male. Several similarities in agon istic behavior also existed: 1) The victim often returned or stayed wi thin 1 m of the aggressor following an agonistic episode; 2) retaliati on in which the victim first fled or avoided the aggressor, then subse quently, chased or lunged at the aggressor, typically while screaming; and 3) frequent redirection of aggression by the victim following an agonistic episode. A dominance rank reversal occurred between the two adult male crested mangabeys with no severe wounding. The rank reversa l seemed to be related to two subsequent behaviors which included infa nt carriage by the deposed alpha in the presence of the new alpha male and female demonstrations of extreme protectiveness of their infants in the presence of the new alpha male. Both of these behaviors have be en reported in the sooty mangabey group.