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Matsuda I, Clauss M, Tuuga A, Sugau J, Hanya G, Yumoto T, Bernard H, Hummel J. Factors Affecting Leaf Selection by Foregut-fermenting Proboscis Monkeys: New Insight from in vitro Digestibility and Toughness of Leaves. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42774. [PMID: 28211530 PMCID: PMC5314408 DOI: 10.1038/srep42774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Free-living animals must make dietary choices in terms of chemical and physical properties, depending on their digestive physiology and availability of food resources. Here we comprehensively evaluated the dietary choices of proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) consuming young leaves. We analysed the data for leaf toughness and digestibility measured by an in vitro gas production method, in addition to previously reported data on nutrient composition. Leaf toughness, in general, negatively correlated with the crude protein content, one of the most important nutritional factors affecting food selection by leaf-eating primates. This result suggests that leaf toughness assessed by oral sensation might be a proximate cue for its protein content. We confirmed the importance of the leaf chemical properties in terms of preference shown by N. larvatus; leaves with high protein content and low neutral detergent fibre levels were preferred to those of the common plant species. We also found that these preferred leaves were less tough and more digestible than the alternatives. Our in vitro results also suggested that N. larvatus were little affected by secondary plant compounds. However, the spatial distribution pattern of plant species was the strongest factor explaining the selection of the preferred leaf species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikki Matsuda
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences, 1200, Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai-shi, Aichi 487-8501, Japan
- Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan
- Japan Monkey Centre, 26 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-0081, Japan
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Augustine Tuuga
- Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah, Malaysia, 5th Floor, B Block, Wisma MUIS, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - John Sugau
- Forest Research Center, P.O. Box 1407, 90715 Sandakan Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Goro Hanya
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Takakazu Yumoto
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Henry Bernard
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Jürgen Hummel
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Matsuda I, Tuuga A, Bernard H, Sugau J, Hanya G. Leaf selection by two Bornean colobine monkeys in relation to plant chemistry and abundance. Sci Rep 2013; 3:1873. [PMID: 23695180 PMCID: PMC3660720 DOI: 10.1038/srep01873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Focusing on the chemical basis of dietary selection while investigating the nutritional ecology of animals helps understand their feeding biology. It is also important to consider food abundance/biomass while studying the mechanism of animal food selection. We studied leaf selection in two Bornean folivorous primates in relation to plant chemistry and abundance: proboscis monkeys inhabiting a secondary riverine forest and red leaf monkeys inhabiting a primary forest. Both species tended to prefer leaves containing higher protein levels, although more abundant plant species were chosen within the preferred species, probably to maximise energy gain per unit time. However, the two species showed clear differences in their detailed feeding strategy. Red leaf monkeys strictly chose to consume young leaves to adapt to the poor nutritional environment of the primary forest, whereas proboscis monkeys were not highly selective because of the better quality of its common food in the riverine forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikki Matsuda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan.
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