Preliminary Observations on Habitat Utilization and Diet in Eight Surinam Monkeys

Abstract

The eight monkey species occurring in Surinam were studied in the Raleigh-vallen-Voltzberg Nature Reserve along the Coppename River. Special emphasis was placed on determining how these eight species divide up available habitat and food resources within a 300-ha study area. Cebus apella apella is probably the most adaptable of the Surinam monkeys. It was found mainly in the understory and lower to middle parts of the canopy of all five forest types (high rain forest, low rain forest, mountain savanna forest, liane forest, pina swamp forest) in the study area, and entered a variety of edge habitats. Saguinus midas midas, the only callitrichid in Surinam, also occurred mainly in the understory and lower to middle parts of the canopy of all five forest types, but was the only species to spend more time in edges than in non-edge habitats. Alouatta seniculus was most often seen in the middle to upper strata of high forest, but occasionally entered the four other forest types and a variety of edges. Cebus nigrivittatus is apparently less adaptable than its congener and was largely restricted to the understory and lower to middle strata of high forest. It occasionally entered two other forest types as well, but was rarely seen in edges. Chiropotes and Pithecia were both found almost exclusively in high forest and mountain savanna forest, but Chiropotes was mainly in the upper part of the canopy and in emergents, whereas Pithecia occupied the lower to middle parts of the canopy and the understory. Neither species made much use of edges. Ateles paniscus paniscus and Saimiri sciureus represent the extremes of primate adaptation in the Voltzberg area. Ateles was the most restricted species, and was found almost exclusively in high forest. It very rarely entered edges and was most often seen in the uppermost forest strata. In contrast, Saimiri was the only species that was not found most often in high forest, and it occurred consistently lower than any other monkey in the area. More than 50% of all Saimiri observations were in liane forest, a habitat rarely or never entered by most of the other species, and more than 60% were in the understory stratum. Saguinus, Saimiri, Cebus apella and C. nigrivittatus were omnivorous, with Saimiri apparently eating the most arthropods. The four remaining species were not seen feeding on insects or other animals. All eight species included a high proportion of fruit in their diet, with flowers and sometimes leaves usually playing a minor role. The two largest species, Alouatta and Ateles, were the most folivorous, but Alouatta was the only one that ate mature leaves and its leaf intake far exceeded that of Ateles. The three smallest species (Saguinus, Saimiri, Pithecia) did not eat leaves at all. Chiropotes was an important seed predator; Pithecia and C. nigrivittatus may also depend heavily on seeds. Alouatta and Saimiri were never seen acting as seed predators. Alouatta and Ateles were major seed dispersers. The other six species occasionally dispersed seeds, but to a much lesser extent.

Incisor Crown Bending Strength Correlates With Diet and Incisor Curvature in Anthropoid Primates

“…Hard-object frugivory/ omnivory Wright, 1981Wright, , 1994 Cebus olivaceus Hard-object frugivory/ omnivory Freese and Oppenheimer, 1981;Sailer et al, 1985;Chapman, 1987 Saimiri sciurius Omnivory Mittermeier and van Roosmalen, 1981;Sailer et al, 1985;Lima and Ferrari, 2003 …”

Effects of forest structure components on the occurence, group size and density of groups of bare-face tamarin (Saguinus bicolor - primates: Callitrichinae) in Central Amazonia

“…This is because tamarins are insectivores-frugivores, and insects and fruits are more readily available in secondary vegetation than in mature forests (Mittermeier & van Roosmalen, 1981;Yoneda, 1984). Peres (1992) found S. fuscicollis exploring closed and complex micro-habitats and lower canopy in tropical forests.…”

“…Among other things, these preferences are generally explained by: 1) the tamarins' dietary habits -mainly insectivorous-frugivorous; 2) the relatively high insect abundance in the secondary vegetation, and 3) the higher abundance of the very attractive fruiting pioneer trees (Mittermeier & van Roosmalen, 1981;Terborgh, 1983;Yoneda, 1984).…”

“…Its co-generic species, the Saguinus midas, also occurs in all habitats, from those in forest borders to those in forest interiors, but seems to prefer liana forests (Mittermeier & van Roosmalen, 1981).…”

Simpatria e dieta de Callithrix penicillata (Hershkovitz) (Callitrichidae) e Cebus libidinosus (Spix) (Cebidae) em matas de galeria do Distrito Federal, Brasil

“…Primatas podem diferir em sua dieta selecionando frutos pelo tamanho, acidez, composição química e distribuição (TERBORGH 1983, PERES 1996, além de diferir na quantidade de material ingerido e partes das plantas selecionadas (MITTERMEIER & ROOSMALLEN 1981), como é o caso do gênero Callithrix Erxleben, 1777, que utiliza exsudato como um importante recurso alimentar (FARIA 1984, FONSECA & LACHER 1984, RYLANDS 1984, PASSAMANI 1996, MIRANDA & FARIA 2001, VILELA & FARIA 2002, pois este item é rico em carboidratos e serve como fonte de energia, especialmente em épocas de escassez de alimentos (COIMBRA-FILHO & MITTERMEIER 1977). A literatura cita que Callithrix penicillata (Hershkovitz, 1977) (Callitrichidae) consome exsudato em diversas espécies vegetais (FONSECA et al 1980, RIZZINI & COIMBRA-FILHO 1981, FARIA 1986, PASSAMANI 1996, MIRANDA & FARIA 2001, VILELA & FARIA 2002, sendo estas espécies de suma importância para a sobrevivência destes animais quando os alimentos disponíveis não são suficientes para todo o grupo.…”