Seasonal versatility in the feeding ecology of a group of titis (Callicebus coimbrai) in the northern Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Am J Primatol. 2011 Dec;73(12):1199-209. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20990. Epub 2011 Sep 6.

Abstract

The feeding behavior of a group of titis (Callicebus coimbrai) was monitored over an annual cycle at a site in northeastern Brazil. Behavioral data were collected in scan samples (1-min scan at 5-min intervals), and complementary data on fruit availability and new leaf cover were collected. Feeding time accounted for 28.9% of daily activity. Fruit was the principal item of the diet (61.2% of records) and the primary category in all months except September, when it was surpassed by leaves. Young leaves were the second most important category (20.0%). The consumption of seeds and insects was prominent in November and December. Fifty-two plant species were exploited, and the Elaeocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Sapotaceae, and Passifloraceae provided the vast majority (86.0%) of plant feeding records. The phenological record did not provide a good measure of fruit availability, but a strong correlation (r(s) =0.902, P<0.0001, n=12) was found between the consumption of leaves and the exploitation of lianas each month. Lianas accounted for 28.2% of plant feeding records, and predominated between August and December. This suggests that lianas may represent a key factor in the ability of the species to tolerate the intense habitat fragmentation found throughout its geographic range.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brazil
  • Diet*
  • Ecosystem*
  • Feeding Behavior*
  • Female
  • Fruit
  • Male
  • Pitheciidae / psychology*
  • Seasons*