Master’s student Arianna von Canal won the Melinda Novak Welfare Grant from the American Society of Primatologists to study how different housing designs affect the stress levels of spider monkeys in captivity.
Von Canal was chosen out of 12 applicants for the $2,000 grant, which will be used specifically to study what design factors in a captive monkey troop’s habitat could contribute to higher stress levels.
“It makes me feel more confident to hear from a committee who works with primates, ‘Hey, we support your research,’” von Canal said about winning the grant.
Catherine Talbot, an associate professor in the School of Psychology and one of Florida Tech’s primate research experts, is overseeing von Canal’s master’s thesis research.
“I am thrilled Arianna has been recognized for her master’s research, Talbot said.
The research project, “Fission or Frustration: Housing Design and Physiological Welfare in Captive Spider Monkeys,” will involve gathering fecal samples from spider monkeys at zoos across the country and testing the levels of the stress hormone cortisol to find out if different habitat styles impact stress levels.
Von Canal will be comparing the data she collects nationwide against data from Brevard Zoo, which is home to the largest troop of captive spider monkeys. Their habitat is specially designed with space for the monkeys to break into separate groups and come back together with the rest of the troop, a behavior known as fission-fusion that spider monkeys are known to exhibit in the wild.
If the data shows that a habitat like the one at Brevard Zoo decreases monkey stress levels, other zoos can use this information to make habitats that are more suitable for their troops.
“Arianna’s research is the first to examine how that housing design relates to long-term stress and to characterize the physiological welfare of confiscated monkeys entering zoos,” Talbot said.
Spider monkeys are often brought into the U.S. through the illegal pet trade and are then confiscated and given to zoos to house. This research will give zoos the information they need to create the best possible habitat for introducing new monkeys to a troop without stressing them.
