Foraging Decisions During Nectar Feeding by Tamarin Monkeys (Saguinus mystax and Saguinus fuscicollis, Callitrichidae, Primates) in Amazonian Peru

A 12-month field investigation was conducted on the diet and foraging activities of moustached (Saguinus mystax) and saddle-back (Saguinus fuscicollis) tamarin monkeys in the Amazon Basin of northeastern Peru. Throughout most of the year insects, fruits, and plant exudates are the primary components...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotropica 1988-06, Vol.20 (2), p.100-106
Main Author: Garber, Paul A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Diet
Food
Foraging
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mammalia
Monkeys
Nectar
Nectar feeding
Plants
Primates
Saguinus fuscicollis
Saguinus mystax
Statistical variance
Trees
Vertebrata
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Summary:A 12-month field investigation was conducted on the diet and foraging activities of moustached (Saguinus mystax) and saddle-back (Saguinus fuscicollis) tamarin monkeys in the Amazon Basin of northeastern Peru. Throughout most of the year insects, fruits, and plant exudates are the primary components of the tamarin diet. However, during the dry season months of July and August, nectar from Symphonia globulifera (Guttiferae) accounted for 22-31 percent of tamarin feeding time. These primates are highly destructive in their nectar-feeding activities: a single adult tamarin may destroy 6-14 Symphonia flowers per feeding minute. Foraging activities associated with nectar feeding are reminiscent of traplining behavior and characterized by goal-directed travel to particular feeding trees. S. mystax and S. fuscicollis appear to be aware of the distribution and location of flowering Symphonia trees in their home range and select nectar sites largely on the basis of proximity. In 86 percent of all cases, the nectar tree nearest the previous feeding tree was also visited. The mean distance between these feeding sites was 107 m. Expectations regarding the amount and variance of the food reward were also important factors in tamarin foraging decisions. It is argued that by minimizing random foraging movements and bypassing trees with limited food rewards, these small-bodied primates are able to exploit widely scattered but predictable resources.
ISSN:0006-3606
1744-7429
DOI:10.2307/2388181