Selectivity in feeding preferences and ranging patterns in spider monkeys Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis of northeastern Yucatan peninsula, Mexico

Abstract

The spider monkey, a fruit specialist and important seed dispersal agent in the Neotropics, is an endangered primate due to habitat loss, hunting and the pet trade. Spider monkeys have been the subject of a few studies in Central and South America, but little is known about the diet and ranging for this primate in southern Mexico. Here we report the results of a six-month long study (October 2010 to March 2011) of the feeding preferences and ranging patterns of the Yucatan spider monkey Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis living in the "Ya´ax´che" reserve by the Caribbean coast in northeast Yucatan peninsula. Focal animal and scan sampling as well as GPS tracking were used to document spider monkey feeding behavior, location of food trees and ranging in the reserve. The spider monkeys used 36 species of plants (94% trees; n = 432) and six non tree morphospecies as a source of food. Six tree species accounted for ≥80% of total feeding time and for 74% of all trees used. Fruits accounted for 59% of total feeding time, followed by leaves (35%), palm piths (5%) and other plant parts (1%). Total range used by the monkeys was estimated at 43% of semievergreen rainforest habitat available (ca 40ha). Range use was not random with segments showing light, moderate and heavy use; the use of different areas of their range varied monthly and was closely linked to the spatial dispersion of the trees used for food [Current Zoology 59 (1): 125-134, 2013].

Differential fruit choice in two simpatric monkey species and frugivorous bats in southern Mexico

“…This preference has been reported for other Mexican southeastern populations of Ateles (Martínez and GalindoLeal, 2002;Ramos-Fernández and Ayala-Orozco, 2002;González-Zamora et al, 2009;Scherbaum and Estrada, 2013) in common and dominant plant families in tropical forests such as Fabaceae and Moraceae (Primack and Corlett, 2005). The diet of Ateles is mainly based on fleshy fruits and a variable proportion of leaves and blossoms (García-Orduña, 2003).…”

Spider Monkeys Rule the Roost: Ateline Sleeping Sites Influence Rainforest Heterogeneity

“…We used remote camera traps both at ground-level and in the canopy, and used baited pitfall traps, to highlight the ecological impacts of spider monkey sleeping sites and their associated latrines. In summary: (1) Arboreal cameras allowed us to characterize spider monkey sleeping site use and composition; (2) terrestrial cameras allowed us to confirm that latrines attract greater vertebrate visitation rates, some of which are important secondary seed dispersing species; (3) baited pitfall traps indicate that latrines associated with sleeping sites attract a greater abundance and biomass of secondary seed-dispersing dung beetles that shape brown food webs; (4) floristic analysis of latrines and direct observations determined a total of 111 plant species consumed by spider monkeys (over half of these were detected by assessment of the 10 surveyed latrines; easier and less labor-intensive than direct observations (e.g., Scherbaum and Estrada [49] observed only 42 species of plants consumed in 6 months of field work)); and (5) chemical analysis of soils showed that latrines create heterogeneity in the potassium and manganese levels of rainforest soils. We believe this work highlights that the high fidelity of spider monkeys to sleeping sites leads to a hotspot of ecological interaction and activity which may have substantial downstream impacts on rainforest floristic composition and maintenance of diversity.…”

Detecting spider monkeys from the sky using a high-definition RGB camera: a rapid-assessment survey method?

“…BG is the botanical garden of Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo (20° 51' N, 86° 53' W). The majority of the 65-hectare area consists of medium semi-deciduous forest and mangrove (Scherbaum and Estrada 2013). Spider monkeys are habituated to human presence as BG receives visitors on a daily basis, and several research projects have been carried out on them (e.g., Scherbaum and Estrada 2013).…”