Salivary cortisol levels were taken on a male and a female howler monkey and compared with behavioral observations during their introduction to one another into an exhibit at the Hattiesburg Zoo in order to determine the link between behavior and stress. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What behavioral responses occur when two howler monkeys are introduced into the same exhibit at a zoo? How stressed are the animals at different stages of the introduction? And, what is the correlation between behaviors and hormones, if any?
The study spanned four phases including a baseline phase, the initial introduction phase, a post-introduction phase after the monkeys were allowed access to each other at night, a secondary introduction phase where four Macaw parrots were introduced into the exhibit, and a return to the third phase when the birds were removed. Behavior observations and salivary cortisol levels were also analyzed with regards to the four phases of the introduction.
Introduction Phase C, overnight access, was determined to an impact on several of the behaviors that were monitored. Cortisol levels for Monkey 1, the resident howler, increased on day one of the introduction and returned to baseline range shortly after. Cortisol levels for Monkey 2, the introduced howler, increased after the birds were introduced into the exhibit. No strong relationship was found between behavior and cortisol levels for Monkey 1. Pearson’s correlations indicate a relationship exists between increased salivary cortisol levels and howling and biting for Monkey 2. These results suggest that the behaviors of howling and biting could be behavioral expressions of physiological stress. Therefore it is important for zoos to monitor this behavior in case an intervention is needed.
","abstract_html":"<p>Salivary cortisol levels were taken on a male and a female howler monkey and compared with behavioral observations during their introduction to one another into an exhibit at the Hattiesburg Zoo in order to determine the link between behavior and stress. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What behavioral responses occur when two howler monkeys are introduced into the same exhibit at a zoo? How stressed are the animals at different stages of the introduction? And, what is the correlation between behaviors and hormones, if any?</p> <p>The study spanned four phases including a baseline phase, the initial introduction phase, a post-introduction phase after the monkeys were allowed access to each other at night, a secondary introduction phase where four Macaw parrots were introduced into the exhibit, and a return to the third phase when the birds were removed. Behavior observations and salivary cortisol levels were also analyzed with regards to the four phases of the introduction.</p> <p>Introduction Phase C, overnight access, was determined to an impact on several of the behaviors that were monitored. Cortisol levels for Monkey 1, the resident howler, increased on day one of the introduction and returned to baseline range shortly after. Cortisol levels for Monkey 2, the introduced howler, increased after the birds were introduced into the exhibit. No strong relationship was found between behavior and cortisol levels for Monkey 1. Pearson’s correlations indicate a relationship exists between increased salivary cortisol levels and howling and biting for Monkey 2. These results suggest that the behaviors of howling and biting could be behavioral expressions of physiological stress. Therefore it is important for zoos to monitor this behavior in case an intervention is needed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Chandler, Cassie Mechelle"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":"Anthropology and Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Marie E. Danforth","Jeffrey Kaufmann","Edwin Jackson"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:41Z","subjects":["howler monkey","stress","cortisol levels","Anthropology","Biological and Physical Anthropology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/252","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Marie E. Danforth","Jeffrey Kaufmann","Edwin Jackson"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Chandler, Cassie Mechelle"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-08-15T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Anthropology and Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["howler monkey","stress","cortisol levels","Anthropology","Biological and Physical Anthropology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/252"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Salivary cortisol levels were taken on a male and a female howler monkey and compared with behavioral observations during their introduction to one another into an exhibit at the Hattiesburg Zoo in order to determine the link between behavior and stress. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What behavioral responses occur when two howler monkeys are introduced into the same exhibit at a zoo? How stressed are the animals at different stages of the introduction? And, what is the correlation between behaviors and hormones, if any?
The study spanned four phases including a baseline phase, the initial introduction phase, a post-introduction phase after the monkeys were allowed access to each other at night, a secondary introduction phase where four Macaw parrots were introduced into the exhibit, and a return to the third phase when the birds were removed. Behavior observations and salivary cortisol levels were also analyzed with regards to the four phases of the introduction.
Introduction Phase C, overnight access, was determined to an impact on several of the behaviors that were monitored. Cortisol levels for Monkey 1, the resident howler, increased on day one of the introduction and returned to baseline range shortly after. Cortisol levels for Monkey 2, the introduced howler, increased after the birds were introduced into the exhibit. No strong relationship was found between behavior and cortisol levels for Monkey 1. Pearson’s correlations indicate a relationship exists between increased salivary cortisol levels and howling and biting for Monkey 2. These results suggest that the behaviors of howling and biting could be behavioral expressions of physiological stress. Therefore it is important for zoos to monitor this behavior in case an intervention is needed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Relationship Between Salivary Cortisol Levels and Stressful Behaviors upon the Introduction of a New Exhibit Mate in Captive Black and Gold Howler Monkeys (Alouatta caraya) at the Hattiesburg Zoo"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Marie E. Danforth","Jeffrey Kaufmann","Edwin Jackson"],"dc:creator":["Chandler, Cassie Mechelle"],"dc:date.available":["2016-08-15T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Salivary cortisol levels were taken on a male and a female howler monkey and compared with behavioral observations during their introduction to one another into an exhibit at the Hattiesburg Zoo in order to determine the link between behavior and stress. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What behavioral responses occur when two howler monkeys are introduced into the same exhibit at a zoo? How stressed are the animals at different stages of the introduction? And, what is the correlation between behaviors and hormones, if any?
The study spanned four phases including a baseline phase, the initial introduction phase, a post-introduction phase after the monkeys were allowed access to each other at night, a secondary introduction phase where four Macaw parrots were introduced into the exhibit, and a return to the third phase when the birds were removed. Behavior observations and salivary cortisol levels were also analyzed with regards to the four phases of the introduction.
Introduction Phase C, overnight access, was determined to an impact on several of the behaviors that were monitored. Cortisol levels for Monkey 1, the resident howler, increased on day one of the introduction and returned to baseline range shortly after. Cortisol levels for Monkey 2, the introduced howler, increased after the birds were introduced into the exhibit. No strong relationship was found between behavior and cortisol levels for Monkey 1. Pearson’s correlations indicate a relationship exists between increased salivary cortisol levels and howling and biting for Monkey 2. These results suggest that the behaviors of howling and biting could be behavioral expressions of physiological stress. Therefore it is important for zoos to monitor this behavior in case an intervention is needed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/252"],"dc:subject":["howler monkey","stress","cortisol levels","Anthropology","Biological and Physical Anthropology"],"dc:title":["The Relationship Between Salivary Cortisol Levels and Stressful Behaviors upon the Introduction of a New Exhibit Mate in Captive Black and Gold Howler Monkeys (Alouatta caraya) at the Hattiesburg Zoo"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Anthropology and Sociology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:41Z"}