IBS   24490
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA SUBTROPICAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
capítulos de libros
Título:
Effect of climatic seasonality and food availability on the activity budget and the diet of black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya)
Autor/es:
PAVÉ ROMINA; KOWALWESKI, MARTIN; G. E. ZUNINO; BRIVIDORO MELINA V.
Libro:
Primatology in Argentina
Editorial:
SAREM
Referencias:
Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2017; p. 107 - 125
Resumen:
Abstract. The activity budget and the diet of primates are influenced by climatic seasonality and daylength. Here, we examined the effect of seasonality and food availability on the activity budget anddiet of black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya). These monkeys are living near the southernlimit of their geographic distribution in a subtropical environment, near a transitional limit to beinga warm and temperate climate. Their habitat is characterized by seasonal fluctuations in temperatureand day length. In the winter months, days are colder and about three hours shorter than inthe summer. Fall and spring are intermediate in terms of temperatures and day length. There was amarked seasonality in resource availability, mainly in seasonal foods: new leaves, flowers, and fruits.Non-seasonal foods, mostly mature leaves, were less variable and more abundant throughout theyear. The monkeys´ activity budget and diet composition differed between seasons. Their time spentresting was highest in the summer and lowest in the spring. Their time spent moving and engagingin social activities was highest in the spring, the season with the greatest availability of seasonal foods.Temperature had no influence on their activity budget. There was a negative relationship betweenthe abundance of non-seasonal foods and time spent feeding, and also between the abundance ofseasonal foods and time spent resting. The abundance of seasonal foods positively correlated withtime spent moving and engaging in social activities. During the spring, their diet was dominated bynew leaves. In the summer and early fall, their diet consisted mainly of mature leaves and fruits. Ourresults indicate that seasonality influences both the activity budget and diet of Alouatta caraya livingnear the southern limit of their distribution. The periods of time with low availability or absence ofseasonal foods may be the key variable in determining the limits for primate geographic distributiontowards the southern latitudes.