Hi Peter,
P. guimbeaui lives on leaf trees, on those that are left! P.cepediana and
P.ornata lives on any type of tree. But a tree populated by P.guimbeaui
always will be, as the animals are replaced naturally and P.guimbeaui is way
more dominant. They only do not have the chance to spread out as their
preferred habitat is not connected any longer, making it easier for P.ornata
and P.cepediana to intrude. A human settlement is not a barrier for both
species, but it is for P.guimbeaui. If the adult animals are collected than
there is no dominant male or female to defend the territory and P.ornata or
P.cepediana will move in. If only the dominant male disappears it will be
replaced by a younger male living single in the shrub or already on the tree
because the older male was not capable of defending its territory any
longer. This younger male would be tolerated by the females living there, a
P.cepediana or P.ornata would not. P.ornata also has a different lifestyle,
they do not live in groups but solitary and have a larger territory. They
will mate with the male or female encountered. In some cases I noticed
tolerance between P.g.guimbeaui and P.cepediana who both lived on the same
tree in smaller groups. In the highlands P.guimbeaui rosagularis is even
more tolerant towards P.cepediana. Here you find hardly any P.ornata and is
the situation different.
Emmanuel
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