Abstract
In this paper, I describe how ecological variables (diet, food availability, patch characteristics) and variables unrelated to food availability such as reproduction and territoriality, affect daily and long-term ranging patterns in two primate species in southeastern Madagascar: the rufous lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus) and the red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer). Daily path lengths (DPL), home range size, and the distance traveled between patches were compared and contrasted between lemur species. Rufous lemurs ranged further on a daily and long-term basis than red-bellied lemurs. Group ranges overlapped extensively and rufous lemurs did not defend home range borders. In contrast, red-bellied lemurs maintained exclusive use of their home range and actively defended boundaries. Additionally, rufous lemurs used more scattered patches and traveled further between these patches than red-bellied lemurs Ranging patterns in both lemur species were not correlated with food availability but were influenced by three seasonal variations in diet: the number of food patches visited, dietary diversity, and the number of feeding bouts. Rufous lemurs traveled furthest when each of these variables was highest and coincided to the same time period when females were lactating. A similar seasonal peak in red-bellied lemurs ranging patterns was not observed although they traveled further when daily diet was more diverse. It is suggested that the presence of several reproductively active females in rufous lemur groups may influence food choice and consequently, ranging patterns. In contrast, red-bellied lemur’s territoriality may limit group movements and constrain daily and seasonal ranging.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Altmann, S. A., 1974, Baboons, space, time and energy, Amer. Zool. 14: 221.
Chapman, C., 1990, Ecological constraints on group size in three species of Neotropical primates, Folia Primato!. 55:1.
Clutton-Brock, T.H. and Harvey, P. A., 1977, Primate ecology and social organisation, J. ZooL, Load. 183: 1.
Crampton, E. and Lloyd, L., 1959, “Fundamentals of Nutrition,” W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.
Glander, K E., Wright, P.C., Daniels, P. S., and Merenlender, A., 1992, Morphometrics and testicle size of rain forest species from southeastern Madagascar, J. Hum. Evol. 22: 1.
Gautier-Hion, A., 1980, Seasonal variations of diet related to species and sex in a community of Cercopithecus monkeys, J. Anim. Ecol. 49: 237.
Milton, K. and May, M. L., 1976, Body weight, diet, and home range area in primates, Nature 259: 459.
Mitani, J. C. and Rodman, P. S., 1979, Territoriality: The relation of ranging pattern and home range size to defendability, with an analysis of territoriality among primate species, Behay. Ecol. Sociobiol. 5: 241.
Oftedal, O., 1980, Milk and mammalian evolution, in: “Comparative Physiology: Primitive mammals,” K. Schmidt-Nielsen, L. Bolis and C.R. Taylor, eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Overdorff, D. J., 1988, A preliminary report on the activity cycle and diet of the red-bellied lemur (Lemur mbriventer) in Madagascar, Am. J. Primatol. 16: 143.
Overdorff, D.J., 1991, Ecological Correlates to Social Structure in Two Prosimian Primates in Madagascar. Ph.D. thesis, Duke University, Durham.
Overdorff, D. J., 1992, Territoriality and home range use by red-bellied lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer) in Madagascar, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. Suppl. 14: 139.
Overdorff, D. J., in press, Similarities, differences, and seasonal patterns in the diets of Eulemur rubriventer and Eulemur fulvus rufus in Madagascar, Int. J. Primato!.
Pollock, J. L, 1979, Spatial distributions and ranging behavior in lemurs, in: “The Study of Prosimian Behavior,” G. A. Doyle and R. D. Martin, eds., Academic Press, New York.
Portman, O.W., 1970, Nutritional requirements (NRC) of non human primates. in: “Feeding and Nutrition of Nonhuman Primates,” R. H. Harris, ed., Academic Press, New York.
Pusey, A., 1979, Intercommunity transfer of chimpanzees in Gombe National park, in: The Great Apes,“ D. A. Hamburg and E. R. McCown, eds., Benjamin/Cummings, Menlo Park, California.
Rasmussen, D. R., 1979, Correlates of patterns of range use of a troop of yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus): I. Sleeping sites, impregnable females, births, and male emigrations and immigrations, Anim. Behay. 27: 1098.
Rasmussen, D. R., 1983, Correlates of patterns of range use of a troop of yellow baboons (Papin cynocephalus): II. Spatial structure, cover density, food gathering, and individual behavior patterns, Anim. Behay. 31: 834.
Rasmussen, D. T., 1985, A comparative study of breeding seasonality and litter size in eleven taxa of captive lemurs (Lemur and Varecia), Int. J. Primato!. 5: 501.
Richard, A. F., 1974, Patterns of mating in Propithecus verreauxi veneauxi. in: “Prosimian Biology,” R. D. Martin and G. A. Doyle, eds., Duckworth, London.
Richard, A., 1978, “Behavioral Variation: Case Study of a Malagasy Lemur,” Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg.
Richard, A. F., 1985, Social boundaries in a Malagasy prosimian, the sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), Int. J. Primatol. 6: 553.
Richard, A. F. and Dewar, R. E., 1991, Lemur ecology, Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 22: 145.
Robinson, J. G., 1981, Spatial structure in foraging groups of wedge-capped capuchin monkeys (Cebus nigrivirgatus), Anim. Behay. 29: 1036.
van Schaik, C.P., van Noordwjik, M. A., de Boer, R.J., and den Tonkelaar, I., 1983, The effect of group size on time budgets and social behavior in wild long-tailed macaques (Macaca fasicularis), Behay. Ecol. Sociobiol. 13: 173.
Strier, K. B., 1987, Ranging behavior of woolly spider monkeys, or muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides), Int. J. Primato!. 8: 575.
Terborgh, J., 1983, “Five New World Primates,’ Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Terborgh, J. and Janson, C. H., 1986, The socioecology of primate groups, Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 17: 111.
Waser, P., 1975, Monthly variations in feeding and activity patterns of the mangabey, Cercocebus albigena (Lydekker), E. Afr. Wildl. J. 13: 249.
Waser, P., 1978, Feeding, ranging, and group size in the Mangabey Cercocebus albigena, in: “Primate Ecology:Studies of Feeding and Ranging Behavior in Lemurs, Monkeys, and Apes,” T. H. CluttonBrock, ed., Academic Press, London.
Wright, P.C., 1986, Ecological correlates to monogamy. in: “Primate Ecology and Conservation,” J.G. Else and P.C. Lee, eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Young, A. L., Richard, A. F., and Aiello, L. C., 1990, Female dominance and maternal investment in strepsirhine primates, Am. Nat. 135: 473.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Overdorff, D.J. (1993). Ecological and Reproductive Correlates to Range Use in Red-Bellied Lemurs (Eulemur Rubriventer) and Rufous Lemurs (Eulemur Fulvus Rufus). In: Kappeler, P.M., Ganzhorn, J.U. (eds) Lemur Social Systems and Their Ecological Basis. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2412-4_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2412-4_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-2414-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-2412-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive