Behaviour and Diet of Colobus angolensis palliatus Peters, 1868, in Relation to Seasonality in a Tanzanian Dry Coastal Forest

Abstract

Observational data from a 1-month study (November 1991) on a troop of Tanzanian black colobus, Colobus angolensis palliatus Peters, 1868, are presented. The troop inhabits an area of dry semi-evergreen forest in the eastern portion of the Gendagenda South Forest Reserve, Tanzania, which is subject to a bimodal seasonal climate. We show that during a period at the end of the dry season, the troop spent significantly more time feeding at the expense of resting, had a higher dietary diversity and ranged over a much greater area than during a period at the beginning of the wet season.

Population Size, Group Composition and Feeding Ecology of the Endemic and Endangered Colobus guereza gallarum in Harenna Forest, Harenna Buluk District, South East Ethiopia

“…Nonetheless, the difference in the number of plant species reported as consumed by C. g. gallarum in the study area and the former might be due to the duration of study periods and the availability of foraging plants. Therefore a higher number of different plant species foraged from is expected, as plants are of lower nutritional quality during the dry season and so colobus monkeys would have to forage from a greater variety to meet their nutritional needs (Lowe and Sturrock, 1998). Also, whole-day observations would cover much more of the foraging behaviour such as the midday peak (Teichroeb et al, 2002).…”

“…Africa has the highest primate species abundance due to myriad heterogonous habitat types (lUCN, 1996;Jhon et al, 1996). Black-and-White Colobus monkey (Colobus guereza, Ruppel, 1835) is among the most widely distributed of equatorial Africa's arboreal primate species (Kingdon et al, 2008).…”

The role of leaf toughness on foraging efficiency in Angola black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis palliatus)

“…Like other Colobus spp., Diani Angola colobus monkeys are highly arboreal and spend much of their time feeding and resting in the main canopy (Dunham, ; Dunham & McGraw, ). Although largely folivorous throughout their ranges, research has shown that Colobus angolensis may also rely heavily on seeds and/or lichens at some sites (Bocian, ; Fimbel et al, ; Lowe & Sturrock, ; Maisels, Gautier‐Hion, & Gautier, ). In the Diani Forest, C. a. palliatus primarily feed on young and mature leaves (ML) along with a variety of whole fruits, seeds, and flowers (Dunham, unpublished data; Moreno‐Black & Maples, ).…”

Ontogeny of positional behavior and support use among Colobus angolensis palliatus of the Diani Forest, Kenya

“…The few studies conducted on C. a. palliatus suggest they are similar to other Colobus spp. with a predominantly folivorous diet, small group sizes (the mean group size at Diani is six individuals), and an energy-conservation lifestyle (Lowe and Sturrock 1998;O'Dwyer 2011;Wijtten et al 2012;Dunham and McGraw 2014).…”