Evaluating the physiological benefits of behavioral flexibility in chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) using a biophysical model

As opportunistic generalists occupying a range of ecological niches, chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) are considered a highly flexible species of relatively low conservation priority. Underlying their ecological flexibility is a repertoire of behavioral strategies observed in response to ecological stressors. Although these strategies are relatively well-documented, we know very little about how they impact upon an individual’s thermal and energetic physiology, which can influence population-level reproductive potential in the face of climatic warming. Here, we used Niche Mapper™ to construct a biophysical model that integrates morphometric, autonomic, and behavioral inputs to predict the core body temperature of chacma baboons in response to varied microclimate conditions. The predictive integrity of the model was confirmed by comparing model outputs with the core body temperature of a free-living chacma baboon equipped with an intra-abdominal temperature-sensitive data logger. When behavioral thermoregulation was incorporated, our model predicted body temperature within 1.5 °C of the observed temperature for 94% of hours. Of the tested behavioral thermoregulatory responses, shade-seeking provided the greatest thermal benefit, reducing predicted core body temperature by an average of 0.9 °C during daytime hours. Evaporative heat-dissipation strategies (sweating or swimming) were also highly effective in circumventing hyperthermia in our modeled individual, with an average body temperature reduction of 0.6 °C. Our findings underscore the critical importance of behavioral thermoregulatory strategies coupled with access to essential microhabitat features, water and shade, to achieve homeothermy in a warming climate.