Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

Table 7.16. Comparison of ethnoecological and ecological data sets for Alouatta seniculus
Subject Ethnoecological
observations
Ecological observations
Diet Fruits and young leaves Diet fruit and leaves; most folivorous of
most important, flowers Surinam’s primates [1]
also eaten
Two different studies reported 54% and
Leaves dominate diet 55.7% of feeding observations on young
when fruit less available leaves, 3% and 1.2% on mature leaves,
Seeds which are eaten 25.5% and 42% on fruits and 12.6% and
dispersed
0.7% respectively. Proportion of leaves rose
endozoochorously.
as high as 78% and over 90% at time of
seasonal fruit shortage [2,3]
Endozoochorous seed dispersal [1,4,5]
Intraspecific Group size 2-12, most Review of studies shows groups sizes of up
commonly 4-6
to 15 commonly reported, means ranging
Size dimorphism evident from around 6-9. Solitary males occasionally
among individuals in observed [6]
groups, but no consensus Group size highly variable both within and
as to basis of this
between habitats, mean troop sizes reported
Groups vocalise and vary from 4.3 to 10.5 [7]
display when meeting Sexually dimorphic in terms of size; female
weight average 69% of male weight [6,7]
Howling usually initiated in response to
approach of another group [6,7]
Ranging Some interviewees Occupy non-exclusive home ranges [6]
behaviour consider fixed territories
to be used, some do not
Habitat use Tree tops used for
sleeping, especially those
overgrown with lianas
Water obtained from tree
holes if available, may
descend to ground to
drink if not
Sometimes suffer injuries
through falling
Sleeping sites not reported
Activity Active early morning, late Most studies show activity peaks early
Pattern afternoon and sometimes morning and late afternoon, much of middle
on moonlit nights
of day spent resting. Occasionally observed
Rest in middle of day to change sleeping tree in middle of night [6]
Reproductive Litter size 1
Only single young appear to have been
No consensus on timing of reported [6]
birth
Slight seasonality in births [7]
Interspecific Main predator Harpia Predation by harpy eagle reported [8, 9]
harpyja, may also be Predation by jaguar observed under unusual
predated by Felids.
Often chronically infested
with mosquito worms
circumstances [10]
[1] Mittermeier and Roosmalen 1981 [2] Julliot and Sabatier 1993
[3] Simmen and Sabatier 1996 [4] Julliot 1996 [5] Julliot 1997 [6] Neville et al.
1988 [7] Crockett and Eisenberg 1977 [8] Sherman 1991 [9] Rettig 1978
[10] Peetz et al. 1992a
As with spider monkeys, the number of food species recorded was dramatically less
than those documented in ecological studies, indicating the ethnoecological data set