1. Dietary adaptation of white-headed langurs in a fragmented limestone habitat.
- Author
-
Dayong, Li, Yuan, Peisong, Krzton, Ali, Huang, Chengming, and Zhou, Qihai
- Subjects
- *
ANIMAL feeding behavior , *WILDLIFE conservation , *TRACHYPITHECUS , *NATURE reserves , *PLANT species - Abstract
Information on feeding habits and food choices of species living in heavily disturbed and fragmented habitats is critical to developing conservation plans for these animals. We collected data on the diet and food choices of two groups (Groups 1 and 2) of white-headed langurs ( Trachypithecus leucocephalus) from August 2011 to July 2012 in a highly fragmented limestone habitat within Chongzuo White-headed Langur National Nature Reserve, Guangxi province, China. The langurs fed on 97 plant species. Leaves constituted 72.2% and 80.7% of the overall diet for Group 1 and Group 2 (including 55.7% and 66.4% young leaves), and fruits accounted for 22.8% and 11.4%, respectively. The consumption of young leaves and fruits corresponded to their availabilities for the langur groups. Mature leaf consumption peaked in December and January, corresponding to a period of young leaf scarcity. Though the langurs fed on a wide variety of plant species, only ten species made up over half of their diet, and only two of these belonged to the ten most common species in the foraging region. Likewise, there was no significant relationship between the abundance of a species and its percentage of feeding records. Our results indicate that white-headed langurs respond to limestone habitat fragmentation by broadening their diet and relying more heavily on leaves, which may be enabled by their digestive physiology. We also emphasize the importance of conserving uncommon plant species for the survival of the langurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF