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High flexibility in diet and ranging patterns in two golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) populations in

Deogratias Tuyisingize1,2, W Eckardt1, D Caillaud3

  • 1The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Karisoke Research Center, Musanze, Rwanda.

American Journal of Primatology
|November 23, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Golden monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) in Central Africa show dietary flexibility, adapting their food sources and ranging behavior to local habitats like bamboo and montane forests.

Keywords:
diet flexibilityfolivoresfrugivoreshome range sizephenology

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Area of Science:

  • Primate Ecology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Golden monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) are an endangered primate subspecies endemic to Central Africa's Virunga massif and Gishwati forest.
  • These primates inhabit distinct environments: bamboo forests in Virunga and mixed tropical montane forests in Gishwati.
  • Understanding their dietary habits is crucial for conservation, given their limited study and endangered status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe and compare the diet of golden monkeys in two distinct habitat types: Virunga massif and Gishwati forest.
  • To investigate the relationship between food availability, phenology, and the feeding and ranging behavior of golden monkeys.
  • To assess the dietary flexibility of golden monkeys in response to environmental variations.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a 24-month study using scan sampling to record feeding and ranging behavior of three golden monkey groups (ca. 240 individuals).
  • Examined the phenology of key food plant species, including bamboo and fruit trees, within the study areas.
  • Analyzed dietary composition and home range sizes in relation to habitat type and food resource availability.

Main Results:

  • Golden monkeys consumed over 100 plant species, demonstrating a broad diet.
  • Virunga groups were primarily folivorous (72.8–87.16% of diet), focusing on bamboo leaves and shoots.
  • The Gishwati group exhibited a more frugivorous diet (48.69%), consuming fruit from 22 species, and had a larger home range (150.07 ha) compared to Virunga groups (25.24–91.3 ha).

Conclusions:

  • Golden monkeys exhibit significant dietary flexibility, adapting their feeding strategies to available resources in different habitats.
  • Habitat differences in food availability and distribution influence both diet composition and ranging behavior.
  • Further research on feeding and ranging ecology is essential for effective conservation of this endangered primate subspecies.