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Coprophagy by wild ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ) in human‐disturbed locations adjacent to the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar
Author(s) -
Fish Krista D.,
Sauther Michelle L.,
Loudon James E.,
Cuozzo Frank P.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
american journal of primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.988
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1098-2345
pISSN - 0275-2565
DOI - 10.1002/ajp.20392
Subject(s) - lemur catta , lemur , feces , biology , population , primate , dry season , zoology , ecology , demography , sociology
Coprophagy occurs in a number of animal species, including nonhuman primates. During the 2003–2004 dry seasons at the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar, we observed wild ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ) consuming dried fecal matter from three different species. Ring‐tailed lemurs consumed human feces on 12 occasions, cattle feces twice, and feral dog feces once. Coprophagy in this population may be a behavioral adaptation that provides animals access to energy and nutrients and may be an important nutritional source for older, and/or dentally impaired individuals during the dry season. Am. J. Primatol. 69:713–718, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.