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Coping with low-quality diets: a first account of the feeding ecology of the southern gentle lemur, Hapalemur meridionalis, in the Mandena littoral forest, southeast Madagascar

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Abstract

Malagasy primates of the genus Hapalemur are exceptional in their exhibition of specialisations allowing for a folivorous diet despite their small body size. Members of this group are well known for their preference for specific parts of woody bamboo, the primary food resource throughout much of their range. The southern gentle lemur (H. meridionalis), however, inhabits littoral forests that contain little or no woody bamboo. Similar to its closely related congener, the Alaotran gentle lemur (H. alaotrensis), the question is raised as to how these lemurs subsist in this ecological context. The aim of this study was to gain an initial understanding of the ecological niche of the southern gentle lemur in the threatened ecosystem of the littoral forest of southeastern Madagascar. Lemurs were habituated and observed over a 3-month period during the austral winter, allowing for collection of both continuous and instantaneous focal data on their feeding ecology. Preferred food species were identified and collected, and biochemical analyses determined macronutrient and secondary compound values for consumed food items. The diet of the southern gentle lemur was found to be of low nutritional quality, as evaluated through the low protein-to-fibre ratio, especially when compared with other folivores. This lemur is also unique in spending a majority of its time grazing on terrestrial grasses (family Poaceae) during the resource-poor winter months. Our data indicate that Hapalemur spp. possess a behavioural flexibility, and possibly, digestive abilities, higher than previously thought for an animal of its small body size.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Commission Tripartite of the Malagasy government, the Ministère de L’Environnement, des Eaux et Forêts, the University of Antananarivo, and CAFF/CORE for permission to conduct research, as well as the Malagasy Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (MICET) for all of their logistical assistance. Financial support was provided partly by the Chester Zoo (North of England Zoological Society) and QMM. Special thanks to the QMM Environmental Team, especially Manon Vincelette, Jean-Baptiste Ramanamanjato, Johny Rabenantoandro, Faly Randriatafika, and Christophe Rambolamanana for all of their advice, support, and logistical help. We are grateful to Jörg Ganzhorn for all of his continuous support and scientific advice. Thank you to Simon Bearder, Anna Nekaris, and Vincent Nijman for their support and encouragement. Our sincere gratitude goes to Robertin Ravelomanantsoa and Abi Coleman for their assistance in the field, and to an anonymous reviewer for helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Department of Anthropology and Geography, Oxford Brookes University, Gypsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK

    Timothy M. Eppley & Giuseppe Donati

  2. Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Esther Verjans

  3. Unit of Anthropology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Giuseppe Donati

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  1. Timothy M. Eppley
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  2. Esther Verjans
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  3. Giuseppe Donati
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Correspondence to Timothy M. Eppley.

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Eppley, T.M., Verjans, E. & Donati, G. Coping with low-quality diets: a first account of the feeding ecology of the southern gentle lemur, Hapalemur meridionalis, in the Mandena littoral forest, southeast Madagascar. Primates 52, 7–13 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-010-0225-3

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