No abstract

Figs are important resources for frugivores, and Ficus is an ideal taxon for evaluating patterns of primate foraging related to food color. Ficus spp. can be classified as conspicuous (color change from greenish to reddish during ripening) or cryptic (green throughout ripening). To investigate the effect on foraging of color vision phenotype variation for these 2 types of figs, we conducted a 20-mo study on 4 groups of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) in the Santa Rosa Sector of the ACG, Costa Rica between May 2004 and September 2008. We genotyped all individuals and collected behavioral data on feeding rates, acceptance indices, and foraging sequences. We found a significant effect of fig type; feeding rates and acceptance indices were higher for conspicuous figs than for cryptic figs, and subjects sniffed cryptic figs more often than conspicuous figs. We also found that dichromats sniffed more figs and had longer foraging sequences than trichromats, especially for cryptic figs. Among 6 subtypes of dichromats and trichromats, monkeys possessing the trichromat phenotype with the most spectrally separated L-M opsin alleles showed the highest acceptance index for conspicuous figs, Int J Primatol (2009) 30:753-775

No abstract

Neotropical primate parasitology has been dominated by studies of howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.), whereas the literature on the parasites of other platyrrhines is relatively sparse. We analysed the faeces of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) in a Costa Rican tropical dry forest and recovered 8 parasite taxa (Filariopsis barretoi,Giardia duodenalis, Strongyloides sp., Prosthenorchis sp., a spirurid nematode, a subulurid nematode, a strongylid nematode and a cestode). F. barretoi and Strongyloides sp. were the most prevalent parasites and were recovered from 84 and 76% of the sampled individuals, respectively. Individual capuchins were infected with an average of 1.89 parasite species. Capuchins host a diverse suite of parasites belonging to several taxonomic groups (Nematoda, Cestoda, Acanthocephala, Protozoa) and including species with direct and indirect life cycles. Many capuchin parasites are transmitted through the consumption of invertebrate intermediate hosts making diet a critical component of capuchin-parasite ecology. This study represents the most intensive parasitological survey of wild capuchin monkeys to date.

No abstract

In many studies on primate feeding ecology, figs (Ficusspp.) are characterized as fallback foods, utilized only when preferred sources of food are unavailable. However, for white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) living in northwestern Costa Rica, figs are a consistently important resource and may increase groupwide energy intake. We investigated whether visits to figs affect ranging and behavioural patterns of capuchins. Although daily range length and average travel speed do not differ on days when fig trees are visited, capuchins spend more time in directed travel and more time stationary on “fig days”. Capuchins also increase time spent foraging for fruit and decrease time spent foraging for invertebrates on days when figs trees are visited. Capuchins experience higher energy intake and lower energy output on “fig” days. Thus, the patterns of foraging for figs support an energy-maximization strategy and constitute an important nutritional resource for capuchins.