A Critically Endangered Capuchin Monkey (Sapajus xanthosternos) Living in a Highly Fragmented Hotspot

Abstract

Capuchin monkeys ( Sapajus sp.) have cognitive skills and variation in morphological traits among different species that allow for a varied diet and fl exible use of food resources. In the northern Atlantic forest, capuchins have been forced by fragmentation to live in human-altered environments; in addition, animal densities have been reduced by hunting and habitat loss, wiping out a number of large mammals that disperse zoochoric fruits. With the decrease in populations of other seed dispersers, yellow-breasted capuchins ( Sapajus xanthosternos ) are currently one of the largest fruit-eating mammals in the region. We provide frequency of feeding on invasive species ( sensu Colautti and MacIsaac, Divers Distrib 10(2):135-141, 2004), and insights into how they might compete for seed dispersal with other species. S . xanthosternos had a high frequency of travelling and feeding on fruits. They ate fruits in primary, old-and young-secondary forest, swamp, and cabruca (shaded cocoa plantations). In addition, they fed on fruits of oil-palm ( Elaeis guineensis ), jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus ) and cocoa ( Theobroma cacao ); these cultivars compete with native species for seed dispersal by S . xanthosternos . We recommend the management of invasive fruiting species, especially in protected areas.

Out of Borneo: biogeography, phylogeny and divergence date estimates ofArtocarpus(Moraceae)

“…observ. ) or are consumed by large mammals, such as elephants, orangutans and flying foxes (Campbell-Smith et al, 2011;Canale et al, 2013;. However, whether the seeds survive passage through mammalian guts or if such passage increases germination rates is largely unknown.…”

Hunting, pet trade, and forest size effects on population viability of a critically endangered Neotropical primate, Sapajus xanthosternos (Wied‐Neuwied, 1826)

“…) are located in the southeastern part of the species range, where 16.7% of forest cover remain [Ribeiro et al, ]. In addition, this region presents a higher structural connectivity for primates due to the presence of cacao agroforest dominated by emergent jackfruit trees Artocarpus heterophyllus , which is an exotic invasive species but considered a keystone resource for some sympatric primates [Oliveira et al, ; Zeigler et al, ], including S. xanthosternos [Canale et al, ]. The western (forest fragments 11–13; Fig.…”

“…Other isolated populations are found in the Caatinga biome, where only 30–40% of the original vegetation remains [ICMBio, ; Machado et al, ]. Most of the remaining wild populations are concentrated in a mosaic of primary and secondary forests and agro‐forestry with cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) in a matrix of human‐altered environments [Canale et al, ]. Currently, S. xanthosternos occurs in 13 protected remnant forest areas, which range in size from ∼200 ha (e.g., Serra do Teimoso Private Reserve) to ∼150,000 ha (Chapada Diamantina National Park) [ICMBio, ; Kierulff et al, ; Machado et al, ].…”

Seed Dispersal of Threatened Tree Species by a Critically Endangered Primate in a Brazilian Hotspot

“…Indeed, they were the largest exotic seeds swallowed by the yellow-breasted capuchins and were found intact in the few faecal droppings collected in Una (n = 7 faecal samples). Despite the potential use of exotic fruits as supplementary food in the management and conservation of threatened fauna species, the high frequency of feeding on exotic fruits directly reduces the time allocated to feed on native fruits, including threatened trees [Gosper et al, 2005;Canale et al, 2013]. To understand the impact of exotic plants in the dispersal of native seeds by the yellow-breasted capuchins, we recommend studies of yellow-breasted capuchins living in areas with no exotic plants.…”

“…The subgroup followed comprised 14 individuals: 2 adult males, 3 adult females, 2 subadult males, 2 subadult females, 2 juvenile males, 2 juvenile females and 1 infant. The estimated home range by minimum convex polygon was 1,030 ha before group fission and 969 ha after group fission [Canale, 2010;Canale et al, 2013]. The habitat within these home ranges is mainly formed by primary forests (57.6%), followed by young secondary forests (28.6%), while the least available habitat was swamp (1.6%; table 1 ).…”