Patterns of salt lick use by mammals and birds in northeastern Cambodia

Abstract

Natural salt or mineral licks are valuable, yet spatially limited resources for wild animal populations. Many animals visit salt licks to engage in geophagy, which may serve to supplement mineral intake, ease gastrointestinal issues or buff er the eff ects of dietary toxins. This makes salt licks benefi cial resources for the diet, nutrition and health of the animals that use them. Veun Sai–Siem Pang National Park in Cambodia is an area of high biodiversity value, and includes a number of salt lick sites. By placing camera traps at fi ve salt lick locations within the conservation area, we investigated the patt erns of lick use by animals to assess the importance of these resources within the ecosystem. Over 530 camera-trap days, nine mammal and three bird species were found to visit the salt licks, but only six mammals (two primates, one rodent and three ungulates) clearly engaged in geophagy. Visitation rate, encounter frequency and duration of visits diff ered between these species, as did grouping patt erns and daily timing of lick visits. Both primates and gaur spent prolonged periods of time at the salt licks, suggesting such sites are an important part of their ecology. Gaur and red muntjacs were found to be nocturnal salt lick visitors, which is atypical of their normal activity patt erns. Although the functional benefi ts of geophagy were not confi rmed by this study, the frequency and patt ern of use by a variety of Endangered and Vulnerable species demonstrates the signifi cance of the licks and highlights the need to focus conservation eff orts on their protection.