Dröscher Iris, Rothman Jessica M, Ganzhorn Jörg U, Kappeler Peter M
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2016 Jun;160(2):197-207. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22952. Epub 2016 Feb 11.
Small-bodied folivores are rare because processing leaves often requires extensive gut adaptations and lengthy retention times for fiber fermentation. However, the <1 kg nocturnal white-footed sportive lemurs (Lepilemur leucopus) persist on a leaf-based diet. We investigated how extrinsic (i.e., seasonality in temperature and food availability) and intrinsic factors (i.e., reproductive state) influence nutrient intake and explored how nutrient and energy needs are met in this species.
We conducted full night focal follows across all seasons and analyzed nutrients in all items eaten by adults of both sexes to investigate nutrient intake and nutritional priorities in L. leucopus. We estimated digestible protein content, as this is a biologically more meaningful measure than crude protein.
Protein intake was constant across seasons, while non-protein energy and dry matter intake increased from the hot wet to the cold dry season. Males and females did not differ in their nutrient or apparent energy intake irrespective of female reproductive state.
We conclude that these animals prioritize protein over non-protein energy intake as dietary protein is in limited supply, and that thermoregulation poses higher energetic costs than reproduction in this species. While protein intake did not differ across female reproductive states, the relative protein content of the diet was highest during the lactation period, indicating that the balance of non-protein to protein intake may be more important than absolute intake. Dry matter intake was high compared to other folivorous primates, indicating that L. leucopus follows an intake rather than an efficiency strategy to meet its energy requirements. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:197-207, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
小型食叶动物较为罕见，因为处理树叶通常需要广泛的肠道适应性以及较长的纤维发酵停留时间。然而，体重不足1千克的夜行性白足鼬狐猴（Lepilemur leucopus）却以树叶为食。我们研究了外在因素（即温度和食物可获得性的季节性变化）和内在因素（即生殖状态）如何影响营养物质摄入，并探讨了该物种如何满足营养和能量需求。
我们在所有季节进行了整夜的焦点跟踪观察，并分析了成年雌雄个体所食用的所有食物中的营养成分，以研究白足鼬狐猴的营养摄入和营养优先级。我们估算了可消化蛋白质含量，因为这在生物学上比粗蛋白更具意义。
蛋白质摄入量在各季节保持恒定，而非蛋白质能量和干物质摄入量从湿热季节到冷干季节有所增加。无论雌性的生殖状态如何，雄性和雌性在营养物质或表观能量摄入量上均无差异。
我们得出结论，由于膳食蛋白质供应有限，这些动物在营养摄入上优先考虑蛋白质而非非蛋白质能量，并且在该物种中，体温调节带来的能量消耗高于生殖。虽然蛋白质摄入量在雌性不同生殖状态下没有差异，但哺乳期饮食中的相对蛋白质含量最高，这表明非蛋白质与蛋白质摄入量的平衡可能比绝对摄入量更为重要。与其他食叶灵长类动物相比，白足鼬狐猴的干物质摄入量较高，这表明它采用摄入策略而非效率策略来满足其能量需求。《美国体质人类学杂志》160:197 - 207，2016年。© 2016威利期刊公司。
