Vivendo com estranhos: efeito da personalidade no manejo social de macacos-prego cativos (Sapajus libidinosus)

Abstract

Group life requires investment of time and energy to maintain relationships between individuals. Factors such as sex, age, and rank influence the relationship between individuals, recently the influence of personality on relationships in non-human animal societies is investigated. Capuchin monkeys have a tolerant matrilineal social structure, with a rich social repertoire and a high cognitive capacity. In Brazil, capuchin monkeys are intensely trafficked and the continuous influx of individuals in rehabilitation centers (CETAS) poses challenges for the formation of social groups. In the present work, we analyze the influence of personality on the management and social relationships of captive-raised capuchin monkeys, at the individual, dyadic, and group levels. We hypothesized that: 1) we would find personality axes similar to those already described in the literature for capuchin monkeys; 2) the axes of openness and agreeableness would influence social play and grooming behaviors, respectively; 3) the removal of individuals from their social groups would be affected by their personalities and 4) that at the time of insertion, individuals would present a behavioral strategy for social acceptance related to their personality. During 1 year and a half (369.25 hours) we followed 41 individuals and 88 formations of social groups. ICC analysis of scores attributed to animals through the Hominoid Questionary Personality indicates agreement in 47 adjectives and factorial analyzes indicate 5 personality axes: Assertiveness, openness, agreeableness, confidence, and neuroticism. Generalized linear models selected via the akaike criterion indicate that the five personality axes and the Euclidean distance between the dyads influenced grooming and play behaviors, but individuals differ in their strategies with individuals with higher score in openness playing more and individuals with higher score in agreeableness grooming more. We also detected that individuals with higher scores in assertiveness and neuroticism are more removed from their social groups and the opposite occurs for individuals with high scores in agreeableness and confidence. In addition, individuals exhibit sexual display and request grooming as a strategy for the acceptance and tension-reducing at the time of social insertion, with individuals who score high on confidence showing less sexual display. Our results indicate that personality influences relationships and management. And that it can be another tool to help management decisions and provide better well-being to captive individuals.