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Data from: Climate and predation drive variation of diel activity patterns in chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) across southern Africa

Dzingwena, Locadia1; Thel, Lucie1; Fritz, Hervé2; Venter, Jan1; Garbett, Rebecca3; Choisy, Marc4; Wilkinson, Anita5; Huchard, Elise6; Prugnolle, Franck2; Rougeron, Virginie2

Published Apr 16, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp62

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Apr 16, 2026 version files 2.75 MB

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Abstract

Understanding how animals adjust their diel activity patterns in response to environmental gradients is crucial for uncovering ecological and evolutionary mechanisms shaping behavioral plasticity. While theory predicts that diel activity patterns are structured by trade-offs among thermoregulation, energy optimization, and predator avoidance, few studies have tested these dynamics across broad spatial scales within species. We used the widely distributed and adaptable chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) to explore how latitude, climate, vegetation, and predator activity influence diel behavioral schedules. Utilizing over 260,000 baboon camera trap detections collected between 2016 and 2022 across 29 sites and six biomes in South Africa and Zimbabwe, we quantified activity levels and patterns using kernel density estimations. Activity levels declined significantly by about 3% with increasing latitude, consistent with reduced resource stability and heightened thermal stress, while wake-up and sleep times remained synchronized across sites. Chacma baboons avoided midday heat, but unexpectedly increased activity at dawn and night in the presence of predators, indicating context-dependent trade-offs. These results demonstrate how daily activity emerges from interacting abiotic and biotic constraints and underscore temporal flexibility as an adaptive strategy in variable environments, a critical insight into how generalist mammals navigate changing landscapes amid global change.