Feeding ecology of monk sakis (Pithecia monachus) in a seasonally flooded forest in western Amazonia

Abstract

Sakis (genus Pithecia) are frugivorous primates with a preference for seeds that complete their diet with leaves and insects. Fruit pulp and seeds are known to have different nutritional characteristics that change during the process of ripening. The consumption of seeds can be an adaptation to changes in resource availability, as unripe seeds are a more steadily available resource than ripe pulp or young leaves. Here, we present the first study of the feeding ecology of monk sakis (Pithecia monachus). We investigated dietary composition and identified important feeding plants in a seasonally flooded forest within the Área de Conservación Regional Comunal Tamshiyacu–Tahuayo in Peruvian Amazonia. Throughout 20 months, we followed groups of monk sakis by foot and canoe and recorded 459 feeding events. Seeds were the most frequently consumed food item (49%), followed by pulp (mesocarp, pericarp or aril; 25%) and arthropods (22%). Leaves, bark, and flowers were ingested only sporadically. The importance of ripe seeds and arthropods in the diet of the monk sakis differed from other studies: we recorded the consumption of mostly ripe seeds and the share of arthropods was relatively high.