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Seasonal Variations in Diet and Foraging Behavior of Ateles chamek in a Southern Amazonian Tropical Forest

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Abstract

I present data regarding the diet and feeding ecology of a spider monkey community at Lago Caiman in northeastern Bolivia. The community was highly frugivorous, only consuming significant amounts of folivorous material during times of relative fruit resource scarcity. Spider monkeys fed on parts of 86 plant species, but the majority of the diet comprised a few dominant fleshy fruit species that were available at temporally distinct periods across the year. Accordingly, I identified candidate keystone resources for the region and discuss the results with reference to previous studies on Ateles and the importance of considering keystone fruit resources in the management of forestry concessions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Conservation Society, 185th Street and Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10460, U.S.A.

    Robert B. Wallace

  2. Wildlife Conservation Society—Bolivia, Casilla, 3-35181, San Miguel, La Paz, Bolivia

    Robert B. Wallace

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  1. Robert B. Wallace
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Correspondence to Robert B. Wallace.

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Wallace, R.B. Seasonal Variations in Diet and Foraging Behavior of Ateles chamek in a Southern Amazonian Tropical Forest. Int J Primatol 26, 1053–1075 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-005-6458-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-005-6458-4

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