Data from: Skin temperature changes in wild chimpanzees upon hearing vocalizations of conspecifics

A recent trend of research using infra-red thermography (IRT) has shown that changes in skin temperature, associated with activity of the autonomic nervous system, can be reliably detected in human and non-human animals. A contact-free method, IRT thus provides the opportunity to uncover emotional states in free-ranging animals during social interactions. Here, we measured nose and ear temperatures of wild chimpanzees of Budongo Forest, Uganda, when exposed to naturally occurring vocalizations of conspecifics. We found a significant temperature decrease over the nose tip area after exposure to conspecifics’ vocalizations, whereas we found a corresponding increase for ear temperature. Our study suggests that the diversity of vocalizations (their functional significance and acoustical characteristics) can trigger emotional states and associated shifts in skin temperature that can be detected in wild animals.