Leaving home: Responses to water depletion by vervet monkeys

Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) are African cercopithecines whose wide distribution is a consequence of their ability to penetrate semi-arid environments, but whose territoriality is assumed to limit their ability to respond to water shortage. Data from a population in the South African karoo semi-desert during a drought year indicate not only that they are able to do without freestanding water for protracted periods, but also that they can sidestep territorial restrictions in order to locate water elsewhere in the local area.