PRELIMINARY-RESULTS FROM A FIELD-STUDY OF WILD GUIZHOU SNUB-NOSED MONKEYS (RHINOPITHECUS-BRELICHI)

The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, Rhinopithecus brelichi, is a large-bodi ed colobine confined to the subtropical semideciduous forests of Fanji ng Mountain Reserve in Guizhou province. southwest China. Field work b eginning in 1979 and including 10 months of intensive study in 1991 ha s revealed several aspects of the behavior and ecology of this species that are distinct from other colobines, including the closely related species R. roxellana and R. bieti. The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is a rboreal, traveling through the trees by quadrupedal walking, climbing, leaping, semibrachiation and (occasionally) by full brachiation. Terr estrial locomotion is used occasionally. Social organization centers a round family groups of 5-10 individuals with a single adult male. Many family groups range and rest together in large, semicohesive bands. T hese bands may split up or coalesce temporarily to form large aggregat ions of over 400 animals and perhaps more. All-male groups of 2-5 adul t or subadult males are found on the periphery of the bands.