Feeding ecology of the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) in Northern Belize

Abstract

We studied the feeding ecology of the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) from March 1994 to April 1995 in the Community Baboon Sanctuary in northern Belize, Central America. Activity and diet composition were recorded using continuous focal animal sampling. Diet composition was compared with the relative abundance of plant parts eaten by the howlers within the study site. The study animals spent an average of 24.4% of their time feeding, 61.9% resting, and approximately 9.8% traveling. In contrast to previously published reports on A. pigra, we found the diet composition to be similar to that of other Alouatta species (conforming to the folivore/frugivore profile), with 41% of feeding time spent eating fruit, 45% foliage, and 11% flowers. This contrast may indicate a wide degree of dietary flexibility that allows A. pigra to inhabit a variety of habitat types. We suggest that a high level of resource abundance throughout the year makes the Community Baboon Sanctuary excellent habitat for Alouatta pigra. Am. J. Primatol. 45:263–279, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

An experimental census method and estimates of population density of a black howler monkey (<i>Alouatta pigra</i>) highland population in the Sierra Yalijux, Guatemala

“…However it remains open whether or not A. pigra crowds in response to the decreased habitat (Markussen and Renner, 2005). Other research teams report crowded populations from fragmented forest patches in Belize (Silver et al, 1998;Chapman and Balcom, 1998;Ostro et al 1999Ostro et al , 2000Horwich et al, 2001) with approximately twice as high population densities than we found in the Sierra Yalijux (compare above).…”

“…For example, lower densities are reported for A. pigra in various sites in Mexico (Gonzales-Kirchner, 1998;Estrada et al, 2002a;Estrada et al, 2004) (Horwich et al 2001). The population was considered to be crowded due to fragmentation (Silver et al, 1998;Ostro et al 1999Ostro et al , 2000Horwich et al, 2001). The Sierra Yalijux has a clearly higher population density than the Mexican and northern Guatemalan sides but is still below numbers from more fragmented landscapes of Belize.…”

Hurricanes and coastlines: The role of natural disasters in the speciation of howler monkeys

“…In our comparison with A. palliata we found that A. pigra have significantly smaller and less variable group sizes than do A. palliata. Mean group size in A. palliata is 15.37 (Glander, 1978;Estrada, 1982Estrada, , 1984Chapman, 1987;Larose, 1996;Stoner, 1996;Estrada et al, 1999;Serio-Silva et al, 1999;Solano et al, 1999;Rodriguez-Luna, 2003;Williams Guillen, 2003;Munoz et al, 2006;Asensio et al, 2007;Dunn et al, 2009;Dunn et al, 2010) and mean group size in A. pigra is 6.83 (Silver et al, 1998;Silver and Marsh, 2003;Pavelka and Knopff, 2004;Pozo-Montuy and Serio-Silva, 2006). Considering the hurricane activity that occurs in the range of A. pigra, low group size could very well represent an adaptation to living in a stochastic environment.…”

“…When examining the relationship between fruit consumption and activity patterns we found no consistent differences within or between species in how populations adjust behaviour during periods of fruit shortage. Populations of A. pigra either decreased time spent travelling (from 9.52% to 5.45%), increased time spent inactive (from 69% to 77%) or did not adjust activity patterns in response to seasonal reductions in fruit intake Silver et al, 1998;Pavelka and Knopff, 2004). While some groups of A. palliata also did not show changes in activity that correspond to fruit production, the most common response reported in the literature is an increase in either travel time (from 18.6% to 35.8% in A. palliata in Nicaragua, Williams-Guillen, 2003) or ranging distance (from 114.05 m to 502.88 m for a population in Mexico, Estrada, 1984), which is a response that has never been reported for a population of A. pigra.…”

Manipulación diferencial de frutos de Brosimum alicastrum por parte de primates y su efecto sobre la oferta para mamíferos consumidores secundarios

“…The massive production of fruits of B. alicastrum within this period attracts at least six frugivore mammals, including: the two primate species present in Palo Verde (A. palliata and C. capucinus). Although A. palliata has been considered primarily as a folivorous species, studies on their feeding behavior have shown the importance of fruit fraction in their diet (Milton 1980, 1981, Terborgh 1983, 1986, Silver et al 1998. During our samples, howlers used the B. alicastrum tree as their sleeping site, spending a significant portion of their feeding time to selection and handling of fruits.…”