Probably one of the most dramatic events we see on a regular basis in the field is the inter-troop encounter. The vervets move around their home ranges all day, and on occasion, they bump into one of their neighboring groups at the edge of their territory. Although these encounters are sometimes fairly tame, they often escalate into aggressive disputes over resources. These aggressive encounters are characterized by a number of behaviours, one of which is a specific type of vocalization we call the inter troop encounter (ITE) call.

What’s interesting about these ITE calls is that it’s not exactly clear what they do. One possibility is that they are used to intimidate the other group. Think about how intimidating a growling dog, or a hissing cat can be! Another possibility is that ITE calls are used to solicit aid from the caller’s own social group, almost like the monkey is calling its allies for backup. It’s even possible that the call serves both functions simultaneously. Either way, these calls make for a pretty dramatic scene; one that we are lucky to see here on Samara quite often!

Until next time,

Colin and the Verveteers