Ecologia alimentar de um grupo de Guigó-de-Coimbra-Filho (Callicebus coimbrai Kobayashi & Langguth, 1999): perspectivas para a conservação da espécie na paisagem fragmentada do sul de Sergipe

Abstract

In addition to their intrinsic characteristics, the spatial and temporal distribution of plants influence the behavior of primates, either directly or indirectly. In particular, the spatialtemporal distribution of dietary resources affects not only the feeding behavior of these animals, but also their habitat use. The present study aimed to provide the first data on the behavior and diet of Callicebus coimbrai in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in southern Sergipe, and to evaluate seasonal patterns. The study site is located within Sergipe’s southern coastal Environmental Protection Area (APA Litoral Sul), at the Fazenda Trapsa, which encompasses a mosaic of forested areas of varying quality. A 50 x 50 m trail grid was established in one of the smaller fragments (14.4 ha), where a group of C. coimbrai (1 adult male, 1 adult female, 1 subadult, 1 infant) was monitoring using scan sampling (1 minute scan at 5-minute intervals). Additional data on the group’s diet were collected using ad libitum sampling. Four different habitat types were identified within the fragment – mature, secondary, anthropogenic, and burned forest. The animals spent a large part of their time resting (43.2%) and feeding (23.4%), and only 16.7% moving. The activity budget varied significantly between seasons, with the animals feeding more during the wet season, and resting more during the dry. Social behavior was also almost three times more frequent during the wet season. A total of 36 plant species were exploited during feeding, most of which belonged to the Elaeocarpacea (31.3%), Myrtaceae (25.4%), Sapotaceae (18.0%) and Passifloraceae (16.3%) families. Fruit was the item most consumed throughout almost the whole of the study period (54.8%), followed by new leaves (15.2%), with seeds and insects providing a major proportion of the diet during some months. The consumption of fruit declined significantly during the dry season, but remained relatively high. The study group occupied a home range of 11.7 ha, with more or less the same area (9 ha) being used in the two seasons. While a significant preference for mature forest was recorded overall, the group also showed a preference for burned forest in the dry season, apparently due to the abundance of new leaves in this habitat. Overall, the study group presented behavior patterns typical of the genus Callicebus, and predictable strategies to compensate for the seasonal scarcity of preferred foods, in particular fruit. The study also re-emphasized the tolerance of the species to habitat fragmentation, apparently based on its behavioral flexibility, and ability to exploit alternative resources, as and when xiii available. These findings provide an important starting point for the development of effective management strategies, necessary to guarantee the survival of the C. coimbrai populations of Sergipe and the habitats they occupy over the long term.