Home ranges of ring-tailed lemur troops and the density of large trees at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar

Koyama, Naoki; Soma, Takayo; Ichino, Shinichiro; Takahata, Yukio

doi:10.11619/africa1964.2005.1

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Females experience late gestation and early lactation periods during the driest parts of the year [Jolly, 1984;Sauther, 1994Sauther, , 1998], and gallery forest populations normally depend on fruit and leaves of T. indica, as this species is a reliable source of protein and other essential nutrients [Sauther, 1992[Sauther, , 1994[Sauther, , 1998Yamashita, 2002;Mertl-Millhollen et al, 2003]. In contrast to previous gallery forest studies, where tamarind made up 30-60% of the ring-tailed lemurs' diet [Sauther, 1992[Sauther, , 1993Mertl-Milhollen et al, 2003;Soma, 2004;Koyama et al, 2006], the diet of the two L. catta groups in our study was comprised of ! 2% T. indica , as it was virtually unavailable as a result of the cyclone's devastation 7 months earlier.…”

Section: Feeding During Non-typical Seasons In Gallery Forest Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is already a difficult time of year as gestation and early lactation correspond with the dry season in southern Madagascar [Jolly, 1984;Sauther, 1992Sauther, , 1998Wright, 1999]. Additionally, Tamarindus indica fruit, considered to be the most important food resource for gallery forest-dwelling L. catta [Budnitz and Dainis, 1975;Sauther, 1992;Rasamimanana and Rafidinarivo, 1993;Sauther, 1998;Jolly et al, 2002;Yamashita, 2002;MertlMillhollen et al, 2003;Gould, 2006;Koyama et al, 2006;Simmen et al, 2006], was absent due to the effects of the cyclone. In this paper, we describe the response by two groups of ring-tailed lemurs inhabiting BMSR to the resource shortage caused by Cyclone Ernest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Feeding outside the Forest: The Importance of Crop Raiding and an Invasive Weed in the Diet of Gallery Forest Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) following a Cyclone at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

LaFleur

Gould²

2009

IJFP

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In January 2005, a cyclone hit southern Madagascar, including the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, disrupting the flowering/fruiting cycle of Tamarindus indica, leaving Lemur catta without its major food resource during reproductive periods. We studied two adjacent groups of L. catta during the late gestation period, and both groups ventured outside the reserve to feed. The Red group (RG) fed daily on cultivated sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) leaves in a nearby field, and both groups consumed leaves and stems of the invasive terrestrial flowering herb Mexican prickly poppy (Argemone mexicana), growing outside the reserve. The Green group (GG) spent significantly more time feeding than did RG, and more time feeding inside the forest compared to outside. The members of RG spent half of their time feeding in the crops, and nearly half of their diet consisted of easy-to-process sweet potato leaves. Additionally, RG defended and restricted GG’s access to the crop territory. Of the two non-forest foods, A. mexicana leaves were higher in protein and most minerals (P, Mg, K and Na, but not Ca) and lower in fiber than sweet potato leaves, but sweet potato leaves were preferred by RG. L. catta is a markedly flexible primate with respect to diet, and switches to fallback foods from outside the forest during periods of low food availability. In the highly seasonal and unpredictable climate of southern Madagascar, such behavioral adaptations are important to the survival of this species.

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Section: Feeding During Non-typical Seasons In Gallery Forest Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding outside the Forest: The Importance of Crop Raiding and an Invasive Weed in the Diet of Gallery Forest Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) following a Cyclone at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

LaFleur

Gould²

2009

IJFP

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“…Argemone mexicana is suggested to be a critical fallback food for Lemur catta in the gallery forest at Beza Mahafaly during the dry season (Simmen et al 2006;LaFleur 2008), and Tamarindus indica is considered an important keystone species for gallery forest dwelling Lemur catta at both Beza Mahafaly and Berenty field sites (Blumenfeld Jones et al 2006;Gould et al 1999;Koyama et al 2006;MertlMillhollen et al 2003;Rasamimanana and Rafidinarivo 1993;Sauther 1992Sauther , 1998Sauther et al 1999;Simmen et al 2006;Yamashita 2002), because tamarind trees produce new leaves and fruit year-round and individual trees within an area are on different reproductive cycles at a given time (Simmen et al 2006). Further, tamarind fruit and leaves are high in protein and calcium (Mertl-Millhollen et al 2003;Rasamimanana and Rafidinarivo 1993;Sauther 1992Sauther , 1994, which are important nutrients for reproductive females.…”

Section: Diet and Microhabitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microhabitat Variation and Its Effects on Dietary Composition and Intragroup Feeding Interactions Between Adult Female Lemur catta During the Dry Season at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Southwestern Madagascar

Gemmill

Gould

2008

Int J Primatol

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We compared diets and female feeding agonism in 2 groups of ring-tailed lemurs living in markedly diverse microhabitats in and near the Beza Mahafaly Reserve, Madagascar during mid-to-late gestation periods and height of the dry season to test predictions concerning differences in resource availability, preferred foods, female rank, and degree and frequency of feeding agonism in relation to usurpability and monopolization of food resources. Quadrat sampling in disturbed forest habitat revealed a greater number of plant species than in the gallery forest home range area, but females in both groups consumed nearly equal numbers of actual food plant species. Higher-ranking females in disturbed forest consumed human food scraps from the researchers camp significantly more often than lowranking females did, while there was no rank effect for consumption of any food type between females in the gallery forest group. Higher rates of female feeding agonism in both groups occurred around usurpable fruit and leaves, as well as over monopolizable human food scraps in the disturbed forest group. There is no association between degree of agonism and food type in either group, and rate of feeding agonism is similar for both groups. The most highly contested food items came in large packages and were high in nutrients: beneficial foods for gestating females in the height of dry season in southwestern Madagascar.

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“…While L. catta females produce comparatively dilute milk [Tilden and Oftedal, 1997;Power et al, 2006;Hinde et al, 2011], they likely produce large quantities to nourish and hydrate infants in spiny forest habitat. The mean annual rainfall at gallery forest sites in south and southwest Madagascar ranges from 580 to 700 mm/year [Koyama et al, 2006;Sussman et al, 2012]; however, rainfall in spiny forest habitat averages less than 500 mm/year [Tengo et al, 2007;Kelley, 2011]. Furthermore, health assessment of the CSM population in 2007 revealed low hydration levels [Kelley, 2011].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive Female Feeding Strategies in Spiny Forest-Dwelling Lemur catta in Southern and Southwestern Madagascar: How Do Females Meet the Challenges of Reproduction in this Harsh Habitat?

Gould

Kelley²,

LaFleur³

2015

IJFP

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The spiny forest ecoregion of southern and southwestern Madagascar is characterized by low annual rainfall, high temperatures, short-stature xeric vegetation and lack of canopy. Lemur catta is often the only diurnal primate persisting in this habitat. For reproductive females living in spiny forests, gestation and early-to-mid lactation periods occur during the dry season when food resources are limited. We conducted a between-site comparison of variables important to the feeding ecology of reproductive female L. catta inhabiting spiny forest at 3 sites: Berenty spiny forest (BSF), Cap Sainte-Marie (CSM) and Tsimanampesotse National Park (TNP). We hypothesize that the ability for pregnant and lactating females to adequately obtain plant foods high in protein, low in fiber and with a high water content is crucial to their survival and successful reproduction in spiny habitat. We found favorable or relatively equal protein-to-fiber ratios in plant foods most frequently consumed by reproductive females, and preferred foods contained high water content. Some overlap in preferred plant species at the 3 sites suggests important plant foods for reproductive females inhabiting spiny forests. We suggest that choosing foods high in protein, relatively low in fiber and with high water content are behavioral adaptations allowing female L. catta to reproduce and survive in this habitat.

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Home ranges of ring-tailed lemur troops and the density of large trees at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar

Cited by 8 publications

References 14 publications

Feeding outside the Forest: The Importance of Crop Raiding and an Invasive Weed in the Diet of Gallery Forest Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) following a Cyclone at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

Feeding outside the Forest: The Importance of Crop Raiding and an Invasive Weed in the Diet of Gallery Forest Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) following a Cyclone at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar

Microhabitat Variation and Its Effects on Dietary Composition and Intragroup Feeding Interactions Between Adult Female Lemur catta During the Dry Season at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Southwestern Madagascar

Reproductive Female Feeding Strategies in Spiny Forest-Dwelling Lemur catta in Southern and Southwestern Madagascar: How Do Females Meet the Challenges of Reproduction in this Harsh Habitat?

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