Abstract
We observed a group of capped langurs for 12 mo in the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India. We recorded the time of feeding on different food plant species, food categories, and the feeding heights of monkeys in trees. Capped langurs spent 68% of their feeding time on leaves, 16% on flowers, and 16% on fruits. Feeding on leaves was consistently high (p < 0.01) during the year, with the highest feeding in May (85%) and the lowest in January (47%). The seasonal difference in feeding on leaves is significant (p < 0.05): it was higher in summer and during monsoon. The feeding time on flowers was maximal (35%) in March and that on fruits and seeds was minimal (38%) in January. Langurs ate 52 plant species throughout the year. The largest number of plants (6) were species of Moraceae, and langurs spent more feeding time (20%) on them alone. The number of plants eaten per month varied significantly (p < 0.05). Langurs ate Gmelina arborea, Albizzia lucida, Ficus glomereta, and Makania micrantha throughout the year. They spent 44% of their feeding time in terminal canopies and their average feeding height was 30–35 m. This is the first study to examine the feeding ecology of capped langurs and provides baseline data for the species.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India for providing financial support. We also thank the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, for necessary permission and facilities to work in the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary and also the officials of the sanctuary for logistic support during the study. We thank the director, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology and the Head, Department of Forestry for providing all the facilities required for the study. We thank both reviewers for critical evaluation and constructive suggestions for improving the manuscript, and Dr. S. D. Baral, Department of English, Mizoram University for language editing.
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Solanki, G.S., Kumar, A. & Sharma, B.K. Feeding Ecology of Trachypithecus pileatus in India. Int J Primatol 29, 173–182 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-008-9234-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-008-9234-0