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Mentor

Frank Logiudice

Abstract

The social group hierarchy of three captive C. petaurista specimens was monitored and determined by observing agnostic fights, aggression, and allogrooming incidents. This social group was monitored from May to August in 2017 for 60.5 observation hours total as a continuation of a previous study conducted in spring of 2017. The study took place at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens. All observations were recorded on template sheets with the location of each individual noted on a 6x6 grid representing the enclosure. A new sheet was used for each 15-minute increment during observation periods. It was concluded that agnostic fight outcomes were influenced by social hierarchy, with more dominant individuals consistently winning encounters with less dominant individuals. It was also notable how the dominant male would step in to help settle agnostic fights, enforcing the hierarchy among less dominant individuals. Allogrooming also was influenced by hierarchy. Grooming incidents among the observed specimens followed the Seyfarth model, meaning that grooming tended to take place among individuals of adjacent rank.

About the Author

Mason Reinhart is a junior biology student at UCF from Tampa, Florida. During his college career, he has worked in the UCF Entomology collection (The Bug Closet), volunteered at the UCF arboretum, helped as a peer advisor and student assistant in the biology department, and participated in the Disney College Program. After graduation, Mason hopes to work with animals in captivity and find new ways to provide them with the best possible care while also giving zoo patrons an entertaining educational experience.

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