Environmental Influences on Sleep Behavior in Captive Male Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).
Naruki Morimura, Michiko Fujisawa, Yusuke Mori, Migaku Teramoto
DOI: 10.1007/s10764-012-9612-5Abstract
Little is known as to the influence of captivity and stressful events on sleep patterns in primates. We investigated the sleep
patterns of 19 male chimpanzees living under similar conditions at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Uto (CSU) in Kumamoto, Japan,
using a behavioral sleep index. We conducted nighttime observations of all subjects during a stable period and then observed
three subjects after relocation to an unfamiliar facility at CSU. We estimated length of sleep and nonsleep periods over 13-h
video recordings using instantaneous sampling at 1-min intervals to record sleep, which we defined operationally as an inactive
posture with the body lying down with the head on the floor or on nesting materials. The 19 subjects slept for a mean ± SEM
of 11.3 ± 0.26 h during the stable period, and sleep patterns varied significantly among the subjects. The three relocated
subjects all showed temporarily decreased sleep duration in the post-move period but subsequently recovered to the levels
observed during the stable period when habituated to the new living quarters. These results suggest that a stressful event
may induce temporary sleep shortage lasting for >1 wk in captive chimpanzees. Sleep patterns may serve as a useful behavioral
index of the stress response, as it is less confounded by other behaviors and the actions of human caretakers than other indices.
Keywords
Chimpanzee, Environmental change, Sleep, Stress, Welfare
Article Information
Morimura, N., Fujisawa, M., Mori, Y., & Teramoto, M.(2012)Environmental Influences on Sleep Behavior in Captive Male Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). International Journal of Primatology
, Volume 33, Number 4, 822–829
10.1007/s10764-012-9612-5