Dietary Response of a Group of François' Langur Trachypithecus francoisi in a Fragmented Habitat in the County of Fusui, China: Implications for Conservation

François' langur Trachypithecus francoisi is a threatened monkey species whose populations have been declining rapidly during the last four decades, and at the same time, there has been a severe fragmentation of the species' habitat. Using focal animal sampling and continuous recording, we studied food selection of a group of François' langur in a small fragmented habitat in the county of Fusui, Guangxi Province, China. We also analysed the vegetation data obtained within their home range using quadrat sampling. The langurs consumed a higher proportion of leaves but from a smaller number of plant species than their conspecifics in continuous habitats. They selectively utilised specific species as food sources, and they spent 61.6% of their feeding time on four staple species, whilst only 38.4% of their feeding time was spent on the 36 plant species that were either seasonally or rarely consumed food items. Although our sample sizes were small and from a single group, our results suggest that, similar to other colobine species, François' langurs in a fragmented habitat are highly selective feeders. Although the langurs appeared reasonably tolerant and well adapted to cope with habitat fragmentation in the short‐term, they are still to be considered as highly vulnerable as their survival depends on a small number of food plants, which themselves could be threatened by other factors.