Influences on Gum Feeding in Primates

Abstract

This chapter reviews the factors that may affect patterns of gum feeding by primates. These are then examined for mixed-species troops of saddleback (S. fuscicollis) and mustached (S. mystax) tamarins. An important distinction is made between gums produced by tree trunks and branches as a result of damage and those produced by seed pods as part of a dispersal strategy as these may be expected to differ in their biochemistry. Feeding on fruit and Parkia seed pod exudates was more prevalent in the morning whereas other exudates were eaten in the afternoon. This itinerary may represent a deliberate strategy to retain trunk gums in the gut overnight, thus maximising the potential for microbial fermentation of their β-linked oligosaccharides. Both types of exudates were eaten more in the dry than the wet season. Consumption was linked to seasonal changes in resource availability and not the tamarins' reproductive status providing no support for the suggestion that gums are eaten as a primary calcium source in the later stages of gestation and lactation. The role of availability in determining patterns of consumption is further supported by the finding that dietary overlap for the trunk gums eaten was greater between species within mixed-species troops within years than it was within species between years. These data and those for pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea) suggest that patterns of primate gummivory may reflect the interaction of preference and availability for both those able to stimulate gum production and those not.

Feeding habits of marmosets: A case study of bark anatomy and chemical composition of Anadenanthera peregrina gum

“…Histochemical tests showed that secretory ducts are rich in polysaccharides, pectins, mucilages and proteins, and in the intercellular spaces of the axial parenchyma of the phloem and secondary xylem in A. peregrina exudates. Similar compounds also are reported for Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) (Rajput et al, ) and of Ailanthus excels (Simaroubaceae) (Shah & Babu ), gum trees exploited by Microcebus griseorufus (Smith, ). This suggests that these exudates are mainly composed of proteins, polysaccharides, probably pectin.…”

“…The diet of primates may include vegetable exudates, such as gums and saps, which are produced by the secretory ducts of plants (Harrison & Tardif, ; Ushida, Fugita, & Ohashi, ). Marmosets of the genus Callithrix Erxleben, 1,777 (Cebidae) are reported to consume exudates from several species in the plant family Fabaceae (Smith, ), including Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (= A. macrocarpa (Benth) Brenan.)…”

“…Exudativory has been reported in approximately 69 primate species across 12 families (Smith, ). Primates feed on exudates produced in legume pods, tree roots, trunks, and tree branches (Garber & Porter, ; Porter, Garber, & Nacimento, ).…”

Diets high in fruits and low in gum exudates promote the occurrence and development of dental disease in pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus)

“…Vegetables may be included to ensure the diet will not lead to an energy deficit, and as a source of fiber. Gum exudate is more difficult to replace because of its unique chemical composition of soluble fiber, high Ca:P ratio, and cocktail of secondary metabolites [Smith, , ]. Luckily, gum arabic from the Acacia senegalensis can be sourced in raw or refined form in most countries because of its use in the food and cosmetic industries.…”

Histometric parameters of the large intestine of hybrid marmosetsCallithrixsp. under the influence of seasonality

“…Plant exudates are consumed by at least 20% of primate species worldwide, mainly by species of the Calitrichidae family (Smith 2010). Marmosets are the callitrichids that are most likely to feed on gum, having a diet based about 70% on plant exudates due to their high availability (Coimbra-Filho & Mittermeier 1977).…”