Preliminary study of Dent's monkey (Cercopithecus denti) living in a forest fragment in Rwanda, highlighting dietary flexibility in guenons

Abstract

AbstractCercopithecus monkeys are a species‐rich genus generally considered arboreal frugivores with widespread distribution in sub‐Saharan African forests. We studied a largely undocumented species threatened by habitat fragmentation, Cercopithecus denti, during 3 months in 2017 in a small forest fragment of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. C. denti's diet was composed of about 58% leaves and 18% fruits. They spent most of their time 10–20 m above ground in secondary forest and open areas. This first systematic study of C. denti shows capacity for a highly folivorous diet, supporting arguments that Cercopithecus have flexible diets, likely enabling persistence in forest fragments.