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Niche separation of sympatric macaques, Macaca assamensis and M. mulatta, in limestone habitats of Nonggang, China

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Abstract

Comparative studies of sympatric species are essential in understanding those species’ behavioral and ecological adaptations as well as the mechanisms that can reduce resource competition enough to allow coexistence. We collected data on diet, activity budget and habitat use from two sympatric macaque species, the Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) and the rhesus macaque (M. mulatta), in a limestone seasonal rainforest of Nonggang Nature Reserve, southwestern Guangxi, China. Our results show that the two sympatric macaques differ in diet, activity budget, and habitat use: (1) out of the 131 plant species that were used by both macaque species as food over the year, only 15 plant species (11 %) were shared. Rhesus macaques used more plant species as major foods, and had higher dietary diversity and evenness indexes than Assamese macaques. (2) Assamese macaques fed predominantly on leaves, whereas rhesus macaques fed more selectively on fruits. The rhesus macaques’ diet varied according to season, and was significantly correlated to season fluctuation in fruit availability. (3) Assamese macaques devoted more time to resting, and less time to feeding than rhesus macaques (4) Assamese macaques were present mostly on the cliff, and tended to stay on the ground, whereas rhesus macaques were present mostly on the hillside, and showed preference to lower and middle canopy. The observed differences in diet and habitat use between the two macaque species represent behavioral patterns enabling their coexistence.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 31172122, 31360093, 31372145), Guangxi Nature Science Foundation (2012GXNSFAA053039, 2012GXNSFBA053045), Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University (1301z003), and the Assessment, Monitoring and Conservation of Tibetan macaques Project of the National Forestry Administration of China. We thank the Guangxi Forestry Bureau, and Nonggang National Nature Reserve.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, College of Life Science, Guangxi Normal University, 15 Yu Cai Road, Guilin, 541004, Guangxi, China

    Qihai Zhou, Hua Wei, Zhonghao Huang & Chengming Huang

  2. Guangxi Nonggang National Nature Reserve, Chongzuo, China

    Huaxing Tang

  3. Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Ali Krzton

  4. National Zoological Museum, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Chengming Huang

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  1. Qihai Zhou
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  2. Hua Wei
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  3. Huaxing Tang
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  4. Zhonghao Huang
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  5. Ali Krzton
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  6. Chengming Huang
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Correspondence to Chengming Huang.

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Zhou, Q., Wei, H., Tang, H. et al. Niche separation of sympatric macaques, Macaca assamensis and M. mulatta, in limestone habitats of Nonggang, China. Primates 55, 125–137 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-013-0385-z

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