Department of General Biology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Am J Primatol. 2010 Jun;72(6):515-21. doi: 10.1002/ajp.20804.
Mycophagy is a relatively rare behavior in primates and has only been recorded in five callitrichid species. Here, we present data on the feeding ecology of a free-ranging group of Callithrix flaviceps, which was studied in the Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve, Southeastern Brazil, in 2008. In contrast with other marmosets, which are typically gummivorous, the study group was predominantly mycophagous-insectivorous, with fungi corresponding to 64.8% of total feeding records, and gum (6.1%) and fruit (3.3%) together providing only a minor part of the diet. Prey corresponded to 25.8% of the group's diet. The fungi (Mycocitrus spp.) consumed by the marmosets were found attached to the stems of Merostachys bamboo. As the animal component of the group's diet was similar to that recorded in studies of other marmosets, we propose that fungi were exploited primarily as a substitute for plant material, in particular exudates. This highly mycophagous diet may be determined by two principal factors: (1) the abundance of fungi within the study area, and (2) the avoidance of bark gouging, for which C. flaviceps may be less specialized than most other marmosets. These conclusions are supported by comparisons with other marmoset groups, which indicate an ecological specialization for mycophagy in C. flaviceps, and that the species will resort to gummivory in habitats where fungi are scarce.
食菌行为在灵长类动物中较为少见，目前仅在 5 种卷尾猴科物种中有记录。在这里，我们呈现了一组关于自由放养的黄冠柽柳猴的觅食生态学的数据，该研究组于 2008 年在巴西东南部的奥古斯托·鲁斯奇生物保护区进行。与其他通常以胶乳为食的狨猴不同，该研究组主要是食菌-食虫的，真菌占总摄食记录的 64.8%，而胶乳（6.1%）和水果（3.3%）合计仅占饮食的一小部分。猎物占该组饮食的 25.8%。狨猴食用的真菌（Mycocitrus spp.）附着在 Merostachys 竹的茎上。由于该组动物的饮食成分与其他狨猴的研究记录相似，我们提出真菌主要被用作植物材料（特别是渗出物）的替代品。这种高度食菌的饮食可能由两个主要因素决定：（1）研究区域内真菌的丰富度，（2）避免啃树皮，黄冠柽柳猴可能不如大多数其他狨猴那样专门啃树皮。这些结论得到了与其他狨猴组的比较的支持，表明黄冠柽柳猴在食菌方面具有生态特化性，并且该物种将在真菌稀缺的栖息地中诉诸胶乳食性。
