Title
The influence of feeding patch size and relative fruit density on the foraging behavior of the black spider monkey ateles chamek
Author(s)
Wallace, R.B.
Published
2008
Publisher
Biotropica
Abstract
Black spider monkey Ateles chamek foraging data from eastern Bolivia are examined in relation to the size of fruit patches and the relative fruit density within the patch. In general, spider monkeys exhibited a preference for larger fruit patches and foraged for longer and in larger subgroups as patch size and relative fruit density increased. Nevertheless, results for specific resources revealed considerable variation in the primary variables influencing foraging behavior and subgroup size with certain specific resources more influenced by patch size, and others more influenced by relative fruit density. The results are discussed in relation to the foraging ecology of fission-fusion primate social systems and previous studies on the influence of patch size on primate foraging decisions. © 2008 by The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation.
Keywords
feeding behavior; food availability; foraging behavior; frugivory; fruit; group size; patch size; patchiness; primate; Ateles belzebuth chamek; Ateles paniscus; Ateles sp.; Primates; Fission-fusion
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PUB10546