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Behavioral Responses of C ao V it Gibbon ( N omascus Nasutus ) to Variations in Food Abundance and Temperature in B angliang, J ingxi, C hina
Author(s) -
Fan Pengfei,
Fei Hanlan,
Ma Changyong
Publication year - 2012
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.22016
Subject(s) - abundance (ecology) , china , biology , zoology , ecology , feeding behavior , geography , archaeology
The C ao V it gibbon is a critically endangered species with only about 110 individuals remaining in a degraded karst forest along the C hina‐ V ietnam border. Behavioral data from this site are particularly useful in understanding gibbon behavioral adaptations to different sets of ecological conditions and will contribute to the conservation of the species. We studied seasonal variation in the time budget and diet of the C ao V it gibbon in response to variation in food availability and ambient temperature by observing two groups for 1,379 hr between J anuary and D ecember 2009. We used 5‐min scan samples to record the activity of gibbons. Both ambient temperature and food availability varied from month to month. Gibbon groups increased resting time and huddled together in sleeping places in cold months. Gibbons spent more time feeding on fruit when fruit was more abundant suggesting that fruit was their preferred food. Alternatively, leaf eating was negatively correlated with leaf availability which suggested that leaves may be used as a fallback food. Gibbons increased their diet diversity when they ate more leaves. This might be a strategy to cope with toxins or digestion inhibitor accumulation associated with feeding from a limited number of leaf species. Individuals consumed more buds when B roussonetia papyrifera produced buds in M arch and A pril. During this period, they decreased traveling time and engaged in less frequent social interactions. Gibbons spent more time searching for and feeding on invertebrates during J une and O ctober. However, we did not collect data on invertebrate abundance and therefore cannot determine the relationship between invertebrate feeding and availability. We conclude that flexibility in consuming diverse food types and food species, and in responding to the availability of preferred foods, has enabled the C ao V it gibbon to survive in a degraded karst forest habitat. Am. J. Primatol. 74:632–641, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.