Supplementary Material for: Validation of a Noninvasive Hair Trapping Method for Extractive-Foraging Primates

Hair is a useful source of biological information. For example, the bulb can be a source of high-quality genetic material, whereas the shaft can be useful for measuring heavy metals and some hormones, such as cortisol. The stable isotope composition of hair is another valuable source of biological information. Consequently, noninvasive methods of hair sampling have become important research tools. Several hair-trapping methods have been developed for use on mammals, but these are rarely deployed on primates in part because their travel patterns can be difficult to predict and because many species are averse to novel objects in their environments. Yet if a species has a natural propensity to envision, manipulate, and withdraw extractable food resources, then a baited receptacle lined with double-sided tape may prove successful as a hair trap. Recently, researchers demonstrated the success of such a contraption with tufted capuchins, a Neotropical monkey species with a high degree of somatosensory intelligence and a proclivity for extractive foraging. Here, we replicate this method in a population of tool-using long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Our trials validate the effectiveness of the method, suggesting that it is suitable for long-tailed macaques and other extractive-foraging primates.

毛发是一类极具应用价值的生物信息载体。例如，毛球可作为高质量遗传物质的提取来源，而毛干则可用于检测重金属与部分激素（如皮质醇（cortisol））。毛发的稳定同位素组成亦是另一类珍贵的生物信息来源。因此，无创毛发采样方法已成为重要的研究手段。目前已开发出多种适用于哺乳类动物的毛发捕获方法，但这类方法极少应用于灵长类动物，部分原因在于灵长类的活动路径难以预测，且多数物种对环境中的新奇物体存在排斥心理。然而，若某一物种天生具备预判、操控并获取可提取食物资源的行为倾向，则可采用贴有双面胶带（double-sided tape）的带诱饵容器作为毛发捕获装置，且该装置有望取得良好效果。近期，研究者通过卷尾猴（tufted capuchins，一种新热带区猴类，具备高度的体感智能且偏好提取性觅食行为）验证了该装置的有效性。本研究针对会使用工具的长尾猕猴（Macaca fascicularis）种群，对该方法进行了重复验证。本研究的实验证实了该方法的有效性，表明其适用于长尾猕猴以及其他具备提取性觅食行为的灵长类动物。