The diet of the Olive colobus monkey, Procolobus verus, in Sierra Leone

Observations of the feeding behavior of wild olive colobus monkeys (Procolobus verus ) were made in southern Sierra Leone, West Africa. Most data came from systematically sampling one habituated social group, which inhabited old secondary rain forest on Tiwai Island. Olive colobus at Tiwai were high...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of primatology 1988-10, Vol.9 (5), p.457-478
Main Author: OATES, J. F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal ethology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mammalia
Procolobus verus
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Vertebrata
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Summary:Observations of the feeding behavior of wild olive colobus monkeys (Procolobus verus ) were made in southern Sierra Leone, West Africa. Most data came from systematically sampling one habituated social group, which inhabited old secondary rain forest on Tiwai Island. Olive colobus at Tiwai were highly selective feeders, obtaining most of their food from a small number of uncommon middle-canopy trees, from the forest understory, and from climbers. Mature leaf blades were largely ignored; young foliage (particularly of climbers) was a year-round dietary staple, while seeds, flowers, and mature leaf petioles were seasonally important. It is argued that this diet results largely from selection for two different attributes of food: high digestibility and physical location.
ISSN:0164-0291
1573-8604
DOI:10.1007/bf02736220