Diet Composition of the Wild Stump-Tailed Macaque (Macaca arctoides) in Perlis State Park, Peninsular Malaysia, Using a Chloroplast tRNL DNA Metabarcoding Approach: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Understanding dietary diversity is a fundamental task in the study of stump-tailed macaque, Macaca arctoides in its natural habitat. However, direct feeding observation and morphological identification using fecal samples are not effective and nearly impossible to obtain in natural habitats because this species is sensitive to human presence. As ecological methods are challenging and time-consuming, DNA metabarcoding offers a more powerful assessment of the diet. We used a chloroplast tRNL DNA metabarcoding approach to identify the diversity of plants consumed by free-ranging M. arctoides in the Malaysia–Thailand border region located in Perlis State Park, Peninsular Malaysia. DNA was extracted from three fecal samples, and chloroplast tRNL DNA was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiniSeq platform. Sequences were analyzed using the CLC Genomic Workbench software. A total of 145 plant species from 46 families were successfully identified as being consumed by M. arctoides. The most abundant species were yellow saraca, Saraca thaipingensis (11.70%), common fig, Ficus carica (9.33%), aramata, Clathrotropis brachypetala (5.90%), sea fig, Ficus superba (5.44%), and envireira, Malmea dielsiana (1.70%). However, Clathrotropis and Malmea are not considered Malaysian trees because of limited data available from Malaysian plant DNA. Our study is the first to identify plant taxa up to the species level consumed by stump-tailed macaques based on a DNA metabarcoding approach. This result provides an important understanding on diet of wild M. arctoides that only reside in Perlis State Park, Malaysia.

Isolated Grauer’s gorilla populations differ in diet and gut microbiome

“…In addition to traditional methods based on direct observations and feeding traces, molecular approaches provide further opportunities to detect rare dietary items, revealing a more complete picture of cryptic and rare species' nutritional ecology (Ait Baamrane et al, 2012;Bradley et al, 2007;Goldberg et al, 2020;Hibert et al, 2013;Nawaz et al, 2019;Osman et al, 2020;Quéméré et al, 2013;Valentini et al, 2009). The approach is scalable to many individuals, is not biased towards habituated or approachable individuals, and provides data which can be compared across species (Kartzinel et al, 2019).…”

Metabarcoding data analysis revealed the plant dietary variation of long-tailed macaque Macaca fascicularis (Cercopithecidae, Cercopithecinae) living in disturbed habitats in Peninsular Malaysia

“…For long-tailed macaque population in the Recreational Park of Cenderawasih Cave, F. superba also accounted for a significantly greater proportion of the macaque’s diet. F. superba was the main plant diet consumed by another macaque species, Macaca arctoides inhabiting Perlis State Park, Wang Kelian, Perlis, Malaysia ( Osman et al 2020 ). Primates that live in more marginal habitats depend highly on limited critical food resources, such as figs, that play an important role in nourishing frugivores through periods of natural and imposed food shortage ( Kinnaird et al 1999 , Tweheyo and Lye 2003 ).…”

The Predicament of Macaque Conservation in Malaysia

“…A study on the dietary composition of wild stump-tailed macaques indicated that they mainly consume plant materials from the forest [19]. Unlike its cousins, the long-tailed macaques and pig-tailed macaques are more often spotted at human concentrated areas, and at times orchards, plantations, and even garbage collection sites.…”