Seasonal Variation in the Activity and Dietary Budgets of Cat Ba Langurs (Trachypithecus poliocephalus)

Abstract

Primate activity budgets are dictated by food availability and distribution; thus primates living in seasonal environments must adapt their behaviors to accommodate fluctuations in resources. Cat Ba langurs (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), a Critically Endangered Asian colobine and a member of the limestone langur group (francoisi superspecies group within genus Trachypithecus), live only in fragmented and disturbed habitats on Cat Ba Island, northeastern Vietnam. This study aimed to assess the behaviors and diet of Cat Ba langurs by group, age, sex, and season. We predicted they would have high rates of inactivity and foraging, low rates of social behaviors, with seasonal variation that reflects an energy-maximizing strategy. We conducted behavioral observations through scan sampling over an 11-month period and found that Cat Ba langurs spent a significant portion of their day inactive (57 %) followed by foraging (18 %), socializing (13 %), locomoting (10 %), and engaging in “other” behaviors (2 %). Their diet was made up primarily of leaves (83 %) followed by flowers (8 %), fruit (6 %), and stems (3 %). We found groups to differ in diet and activity, which is likely owing to differences in demographics and home range between groups. Seasonally, the animals ate more leaves and spent more time foraging in the dry season than the wet season, suggesting that they are energy maximizers. Cat Ba langurs have activity and dietary budgets similar to those of other limestone langurs, and respond to a presumed seasonal fluctuation in food availability similarly. Show more