Monkey hear, monkey do what? An application of Automated Behavioural Response systems for hypothesis testing in the worlds smallest monkey
Observer effects are a frequent problem in animal behaviour studies, particularly when assessing responses to human disturbance. Automated Behavioural Response (ABR) systems, which combine camera traps with automated sound playbacks, offer a solution but have been primarily used on large terrestrial mammals. Here, we demonstrate their use in a small ([~]110g) arboreal primate, the eastern pygmy marmoset (Cebuella niveiventris). We conducted two playback experiments to test the risk-disturbance and distracted prey hypotheses. The marmosets exhibited strong anti-predator responses to avian predator calls, including increased fleeing and vocalisations. Human speech elicited similar but weaker responses, indicating that pygmy marmosets do not perceive raptors and humans as equivalent threats. Embedding predator calls into anthropogenic noise reduced vocal responses, suggesting that anthropogenic noise interferes with responses to predation cues. Across five weeks, we generated 128 successful experimental trials, demonstrating that ABRs can rapidly produce sample sizes sufficient for hypothesis testing in the field.