The Use of Fallback Foods in a Population of Black Handed Spider Monkeys at Runaway Creek Nature Reserve, Belize
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2013-08-27
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Abstract
Seasonal fluctuations in preferred food availability cause some non-human primate species to occasionally rely on less-preferred food types, called fallback foods. Periodic reliance on fallback foods has led, in some cases, to the evolution of morphological traits geared towards their exploitation. However, in species without these traits, fallback foods may instead beget behavioural modifications. Using 21 months of data, I analysed the use of fallback foods, and their behavioural consequences, in a population of highly frugivorous spider monkeys. Spider monkeys have previously been suggested to fall back on leaves, however I found that flowers, not leaves, were used as a fallback food. Seasonal reliance on flowers led to decreases in time spent travelling and increases in time spent feeding, as well as decreases in subgroup size. I interpreted these behaviours as an energy-minimizing strategy adopted to offset the low per-capita energy available in flowers as compared to fruit.
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Griffin, N. (2013). The Use of Fallback Foods in a Population of Black Handed Spider Monkeys at Runaway Creek Nature Reserve, Belize (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28409