Diet and nutrition in white-faced capuchins (cebus capucinus): effects of group, sex and reproductive state

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2005
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Abstract
White-faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus) are considered behaviourally and ecologically flexible and their dietary patterns are no exception. My study is the first to examine the nutritional composition of wild capuchin foods and compare ingestion, nutrient and energy intake rates among: 1) groups with different habitats 2) males and females; and 3) females in different reproductive states. Females inhabiting early successional forest displayed higher rates of insect, fat and protein ingestion than females in semi-evergreen habitat. This suggests that monkeys in younger forests may compensate for lower quality habitat by consuming more food. Lactating females had higher ingestion rates than other females and tended toward higher nutrient intake rates, perhaps due to costs of milk production and infant care. However, overall energy intake rates were not significantly different by group, sex or reproductive state, suggesting that energy may be a limiting factor for capuchins and remain constant across individuals, even as their diets vary.
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Bibliography: p. 90-98
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McCabe, G. M. (2005). Diet and nutrition in white-faced capuchins (cebus capucinus): effects of group, sex and reproductive state (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/112
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