Figs Are More Than Fallback Foods: The Relationship betweenFicusandCebusin a Tropical Dry Forest

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.

Chimpanzee feeding ecology and fallback food use in the montane forest of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda

“…They are an important staple resource when other fruits are both abundant and relatively scarce. Similar preference and fig consumption patterns have been described in the nearby montane chimpanzee site of Kahuzi‐Biega, DRC (Yamagiwa & Basabose, ), and the midelevation Ngogo site at Kibale, Uganda (Watts et al, ), as well as for some neotropical primates (spider monkeys: Felton, Felton, Wood, & Lindenmayer, ; capuchins: Parr et al, ). Differences in fig preference between chimpanzee sites may be explained by the diversity of non‐fig fruits, as figs may be preferred in sites lacking high‐quality fruits.…”

“…Figs are commonly regarded as a valuable resource and/or FBF for tropical frugivores (Leighton, ; Parr, Melin, & Marie, ; Terborgh, ; Walther, Geier, Chou, & Bain, ). Their asynchronous fruiting patterns and large crops often provide important food sources for chimpanzees when preferred non‐fig fruit is scarce (Furuichi, Hashimoto, & Tashiro, ; Stanford & Nkurunungi, ; Tweheyo & Lye, ; Wrangham, Conklin‐Brittain, & Hunt, ).…”

Ecological Flexibility in Boutourlini’s Blue Monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii) in Jibat Forest, Ethiopia: A Comparison of Habitat Use, Ranging Behavior, and Diet in Intact and Fragmented Forest

“…Indeed, Forest Group's selection ratio (3987) for Ficus sur was by far the highest for any food species for either group. The strong selection for figs by Forest Group is consistent with a pattern observed across many other tropical forest vertebrates, including many primates, worldwide (Fashing 2001b;Felton et al 2008;Parr et al 2011;Shanahan et al 2001). Striking evidence of dietary flexibility in Boutourlini's blue monkey comes from the fact that, despite their importance to Forest Group, figs scarcely factored into the diet (3 %) of Fragment Group (whose range contained only three fig trees; D. Tesfaye, pers.…”

Primate life history, social dynamics, ecology, and conservation: Contributions from long‐term research in Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

“…Most tree species in SSR show marked seasonality in fruit production (Hogan & Melin, 2018) although Ficus trees are notable exceptions. Through their production of figs at irregular intervals, Ficus trees provide an important resource to primates and hundreds of other animal species, especially when other fruits are scarce (Hogan & Melin, 2018; Parr et al., 2011).…”