Effects of Seasonal Water Scarcity on the Ranging Behavior of Eulemur fulvus rufus

Scholz, F.; Kappeler, Peter M.

doi:10.1023/b:ijop.0000023577.32587.0b

Cited by 90 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Resources documented to influence the ranging behavior of primates include food (Buzzard 2006;Clutton-Brock 1975;Di Fiore 2003;Olupot et al 1997), water resources (Sigg and Stolba 1981;Scholz and Kappeler 2004), and sleeping sites (Harrison 1983;Matsuda et al 2009). Researchers usually consider food quality and its distribution to be the most important of these (Buzzard 2006;Clutton-Brock 1975;Di Fiore 2003;Olupot et al 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting the Ranging Behavior of White-headed Langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus)

2011

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Ranging behavior is an important aspect of animal behavior that researchers use to investigate ecological influences on individual behavior. We studied the influence of diet, water resources, and sleeping sites on the ranging behavior of 2 groups of white-headed langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) in a limestone habitat at Fusui Nature Reserve, China, between August 2007 and July 2008. During the study period, the total home range sizes for the 2 focal groups were 23.8 ha and 33.8 ha, the mean daily path lengths were 491 m and 512 m, and leaves accounted for 83.4% and 91.0% of the diet, which are well within the range of variation reported for other Trachypithecus. One focal group traveled significantly longer distances in the rainy season months than in the dry season months. This variation may be related to the seasonal difference in food availability and diet. The langurs did not use their home ranges uniformly, and 50% of their activities occurred within 11% (group 1) and 20% (group 2) of their home ranges. The most heavily used quadrats in the home ranges were located near the most frequently used sleeping sites. Moreover, the core areas (>70% of location records) of both groups' home ranges included ≥1 permanent water pool. The langurs ventured to these pools for drinking when surface water became scarce in the dry season. These results suggest that sleeping sites and water scarcity may be significant influences on the ranging behavior of white-headed langurs in limestone habitat.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting the Ranging Behavior of White-headed Langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus)

2011

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“…Primates exhibit wide interspecific and intraspecific variation in home range size and ranging patterns. This variation has been attributed to variation in diet (Boonratana 2000;O'Brien and Kinnaird 1997), abundance and distribution of food resources (Basabose 2005;Curtis and Zaramody 1998;Robbins and McNeilage 2003), water availability (Scholz and Kappeler 2004), topographic factors (Furuichi and Hashimoto 2004), group size and population density (Strier 1987), intergroup encounters and availability of sleep sites (Buchanan-Smith 1991), as well as human disturbance (Glessner and Britt 2005). Among these, the spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of food resources are suggested to be the most important environmental determinants of primate range use (Basabose 2005;Clutton-Brock 1975;Harrison 1983;Isbell 1983;Newton 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Seasonal Folivory and Frugivory on Ranging Patterns in Rhinopithecus roxellana

Jiang

et al. 2010

Int J Primatol

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The distribution of food resources in time and space may affect the diet, ranging pattern, and social organization of primates. We studied variation in ranging patterns in a group of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) over winter and summer in response to variation in their diet in the Qingmuchuan Nature Reserve, China. There was a clear diet shift from highly folivorous in winter to highly frugivorous in summer. The home range was 8.09 km 2 in summer and 7.43 km 2 in winter, calculated via the 95% kernel method. Corresponding to the diet shift, the focal group traveled significantly longer distances in summer (mean 1020± 69 m/d) than in winter (mean 676±53 m/d); the daily range was also significantly greater in summer (mean 0.27±0.02 km 2 /d) than in winter (mean 0.21±0.01 km 2 /d).There was no significant variation in home range size between winter and summer, and the monkeys did not use geographically distinct ranges in summer and winter. However, overlap in the actual activity area and core range between winter and summer was only 0.13 km 2 , representing 4.4% of the summer core area and 5.3% of the winter core area. Differences were apparent between summer and winter ranging patterns: In summer, the group traveled repeatedly and uninterruptedly across its home range and made 3 circles of movement along a fixed route in 31 d; in winter, the activity area was composed of 3 disconnected patches, and the focal group stayed in each patch for an average of 8 successive days without traveling among patches. Winter range use was concentrated on mixed evergreen and deciduous forest patches where leaves and fruits were available, whereas the summer range Int J Primatol (2010) 31:609-626 pattern correlates significantly positively with the distribution of giant dogwood (Cornus controversa) fruits. Thus it appears that the diet shift of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys between winter and summer caused the monkeys to use their home range in different ways, supporting the hypothesis that food resources determine primate ranging patterns.

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“…Where habitat is disturbed, monkeys' diets will often contain high levels of fiber and secondary compounds and low levels of moisture forcing them to seek water [Pozo-Montuy & Serio-Silva, 2007]. Behavioral responses to water scarcity include unusual acts such as bark stripping by barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) [Camperio Ciani et al, 2001] and ecological adjustments, for example of ranging patterns by redfronted lemurs (Eulemur fulvus rufus) [Scholz & Kappeler, 2004] and chacma baboons (P. ursinus) [Hamilton et al, 1976], which also use dew [Onderstepoort, 1988]. Life without water is impossible [Widdowson, 1987] and as habitat becomes increasingly fragmented and global temperatures rise, water is becoming a scarce and highly sought resource particularly in arid regions and during extended dry seasons where and when hydric stress is a risk.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frequent water drinking by Zanzibar red colobus (Procolobus kirkii) in a mangrove forest refuge

Nowak

2008

American J Primatol

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Isolated populations of Procolobus kirkii on Uzi Island, Zanzibar, use Rhizophora mucronata-dominated mangrove forest for refuge. Three groups, observed over 14 months, spent up to 85% of total observation time in mangroves with brief excursions to adjacent upland coral rag forest, habitat degraded by human cutting. A large proportion of monkeys' diets consisted of plant parts of five mangrove species. Water drinking was common and 326 water-drinking events were recorded at a rate of up to 0.87 drinks hr(-1). Groups used different strategies to obtain water including licking dew, drinking from treeholes, licking rain off leaves and tree trunks, and drinking from coral rock crevices with Cercopithecus mitis albogularis. Drinking frequency increased with time spent in and consumption of mangroves. Strategies for obtaining water were group-specific and likely the result of learning. Drinking appeared to be an acquired behavior in movement-restricted groups living in a habitat with low plant species diversity and limited salty foods.

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Effects of Seasonal Water Scarcity on the Ranging Behavior of Eulemur fulvus rufus

Cited by 90 publications

References 28 publications

Factors Affecting the Ranging Behavior of White-headed Langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus)

Factors Affecting the Ranging Behavior of White-headed Langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus)

Effects of Seasonal Folivory and Frugivory on Ranging Patterns in Rhinopithecus roxellana

Frequent water drinking by Zanzibar red colobus (Procolobus kirkii) in a mangrove forest refuge

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