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Resource base, parity, and reproductive condition affect females' feeding time and nutrient intake within and between groups of a baboon population

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Summary

We examined within- and between-group differences in aspects of feeding and nutrient intake among adult females of a single population of baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Differences in time spent feeding, daily energy and protein intake and feeding efficiency (nutrient intake per minute spent feeding) reflected differences in resource base, reproductive condition and parity. Baboons that partially fed from a lodge garbage dump spent less than half the time feeding than those that were feeding totally in the wild. During this greatly reduced feeding time, the garbage-feeding group had a similar daily energy intake and only a slightly lower daily protein intake relative to wild-feeding baboons. Consequently, the feeding efficiency of the semi-provisioned baboons was appreciably higher than that of the non-provisioned baboons. For the totally wild-feeding baboons, samples were large enough to permit analyses of feeding time and nutrient intake during different reproductive states and parity. Females spent more time feeding and had higher daily energy and protein intake when they were pregnant or lactating than when they were sexually cycling. Nulliparous females spent more time feeding than their multiparous counterparts. The daily energy intake of nulliparous females was higher than that of their multiparous counterparts, but their daily protein intakes did not differ significantly. Pregnant or lactating and nulliparous females had higher feeding efficiency than their sexually cycling and multiparous counterparts. The two nulliparous females in the garbage-feeding group spent more time feeding but did not take in more energy or protein per day than their multiparous counterparts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Primate Research National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 24481, Karen, Kenya

    Philip Muruthi, Jeanne Altmann & Stuart Altmann

  2. Zoology Department University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya

    Philip Muruthi

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, 60637, Chicago, IL., USA

    Jeanne Altmann & Stuart Altmann

  4. Department of Conservation Biology Chicago Zoological Society, 60513, Brookfield, IL., USA

    Jeanne Altmann

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  1. Philip Muruthi
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  2. Jeanne Altmann
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Muruthi, P., Altmann, J. & Altmann, S. Resource base, parity, and reproductive condition affect females' feeding time and nutrient intake within and between groups of a baboon population. Oecologia 87, 467–472 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00320408

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00320408

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