Collecting the Data

I collected data from the lemurs using continuous focal sampling. This means I observed each lemur individually, recording all relevant behaviors. Each lemur was individually observed for 3 hours in total. The observation hours were split into at least 2 separate days for each lemur.

The data were recorded by hand using a pen and notebook paper. All the data were then inputted by hand into a spreadsheet.

I observed various behaviors that may be associated with limb preference, including grasping for food, grasping at a branch when locomoting, clasping hands, crossing legs, and bipedal locomotion. Here is the list of all the behaviors I observed (aka the ethogram):

Abbreviation	Behavior	Description	"Task"
AG	Allo-grooming	Using teeth, tongue, or digits to pick through the hair of another individual	Grooming
BP	Bipedalism	Individual locomotes using 2 legs	Locomoting
CL	Cross legs	Individual holds legs so that one is on top of the other. Can be crossed at the thigh, knee, or ankle.	Cross legs
E	Eating	Ingestion of solids	Eating
F	Foraging	Investigating with nose, mouth, and/or hands at a potential food source	Eating
G	Grasp	Individual grabs objects (other than food) with hands.	Locomoting or resting
HC	Handclasp	Individual holds hands together with one thumb on top and the other on the bottom	Handclasp
L	Locomotion	Moving from one location to another	Locomoting
La	Land	Individual touches the ground after being on a raised surface	Locomoting
QP	Quadrupedalism	Individual locomotes using 4 limbs	Locomoting
R	Rest	Sitting or laying in the same position for ≥ 30 seconds	Resting
SG	Self-grooming	Using teeth, tongue, or digits to pick through one’s own hair	Grooming
SM	Scent-marking	Rubbing scent glands against another individual, self, object, or substrate	Scent-marking

I also recorded which limb the lemur used when doing the behavior:

Abbreviation	Behavior	Description
LF	Left foot	Individual uses left foot
LH	Left hand	Individual uses left hand
RF	Right foot	Individual uses right foot
RH	Right hand	Individual uses right hand

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After collecting the data, it's time to analyze it!