Bearded saki feeding strategies on an island in Lago Guri, Venezuela

摘要: Free-ranging bearded sakis (Chiropotes spp.) live in relatively large social groups (22–65+), inhabit very home ranges (200–1,000 ha), and travel long distances (1.8 to >7 km) each day. While these characteristics would seem reduce their ability occupy habitat fragments, several studies suggest otherwise. The key success may lie dietary adaptations. Bearded are strongly frugivorous, but primarily seed eaters, able ingest both young mature fruit. We examined feeding activities of a group over 19-month period on 180 ha island Lago Guri, Venezuela. Given adaptations, we predicted that they minimize peaks troughs plant species used for food, limit seasonal variation the mechanical properties foods ingested, balance ingestion energy-rich (e.g. lipids, nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC), and/or free simple sugars). found Danto Manchado had diverse (plant-based) diet, two resources (Pradosia caracasana, Sapotaceae, Oryctanthus alveolatus, Loranthaceae) provided stable base were present diet almost every month. Second, little mechanical-resistance fruits opened seasonally. Third, alternated months ingesting with high TNC content lipid content. This be an attempt energy intake from available foods. Finally, propensity split up into subgroups predispose them sizes accommodate smaller areas. use ecological behavioral mechanisms survive smaller-than-typical Longer-term (beyond few generations) fragments allow us estimate minimum survival area identify critical or resource combinations. Am. J. Primatol. 78:507–522, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.