An ecological basis for large group size in Colobus angolensis in the Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda

Angolan black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis, Sclater 1980) in the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda, are anomalous compared with conspecifics and congeners elsewhere, because they form exceptionally large groups, in excess of 300 individuals, and because of their unusually high consumpt...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:African journal of ecology 2001-03, Vol.39 (1), p.83-92
Main Authors: Fimbel, Cheryl, Vedder, Amy, Dierenfeld, Ellen, Mulindahabi, Felix
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Colobus
Colobus angolensis
Rwanda
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Angolan black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis, Sclater 1980) in the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda, are anomalous compared with conspecifics and congeners elsewhere, because they form exceptionally large groups, in excess of 300 individuals, and because of their unusually high consumption of mature leaves ( similar to 40% of annual diet). Site factors at the Nyungwe Forest in southern Rwanda are believed to contribute to the unusual socio-ecology of the C. angolensis residing there. Foremost, the forest provides an abundance of mature leaves that are higher in nutritional quality (protein : fibre) compared with mature leaves analysed at other African sites. The combination of a cool high elevation locale, and a relatively open canopy, may contribute to the production of high quality mature leaves at ground level and in the canopy at the Nyungwe Forest. We believe that the almost unrestricted availability of acceptable foods for Nyungwe's folivorous colobines minimizes the potential for exploitation competition for food, and is a key factor in allowing them to form exceptionally large groups.
ISSN:0141-6707
1365-2028
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2028.2001.00276.x