Effects of contextual and social variables on contact call production in free-ranging ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

Ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta) often emit a characteristic vocalization when resting as a troop. This ''meow call'' is believed to serve an intragroup contact function. I investigated the effects of behavioral context and proximity on call production and acoustic features of the vocalization in a free-ranging troop in the Berenty Reserve, Madagascar. When group members were dispersed, the meow call was given frequently and the acoustic features of the call probably increased the locatability of the emitter. I evaluated social relationships among the troop members from grooming interactions and spacing data. I also studied the call exchange network among the troop members, the results of which indicate that calls are exchanged between the two subgroups of females, which they connect.