Randimbiharinirina Doménico Roger, Raharivololona Brigitte M, Hawkins Melissa T R, Frasier Cynthia L, Culligan Ryan R, Sefczek Timothy M, Randriamampionona Richard, Louis Edward E
Mention Anthropobiologie et Développement Durable, Domaine Sciences et Technologie, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research, Department of Conservation Genetics, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
Folia Primatol (Basel). 2018;89(2):123-137. doi: 10.1159/000486673. Epub 2018 Mar 27.
Previous studies found that aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) consume a variety of non-invertebrate resources, supporting the hypothesis that aye-ayes are too large-bodied to focus feeding efforts on insects. However, these conclusions were based on introduced populations, with little known about aye-aye behaviour and ecology in its natural habitat. This study investigates activity budgets, diet, and home range/territories of 2 male aye-ayes in the Kianjavato Classified Forest, a disturbed forest in south-eastern Madagascar, from October 2013 to October 2014. We used radiotelemetry and focal-animal sampling methods to collect behavioural data. We recorded GPS coordinates of the focal animal every 20 min, calculating the home range size for each individual. Results showed that male aye-ayes spent most of their time feeding and travelling. Their feeding time primarily focussed on larvae and adult insects from various substrates, and to a lesser extent Canarium spp. seeds. Home range sizes of the 2 males varied between individuals, overlapped greatly, and appeared to be related to the location of females. Our findings indicate that aye-aye behaviours are strongly indicative of insect-centric feeding ecology.
先前的研究发现，指猴（Daubentonia madagascariensis）会消耗多种非脊椎动物资源，这支持了一种假说，即指猴体型过大，无法将觅食精力集中在昆虫上。然而，这些结论是基于引入种群得出的，对于指猴在其自然栖息地的行为和生态了解甚少。本研究调查了2013年10月至2014年10月期间，马达加斯加东南部一片受干扰的森林——基安贾瓦托分类森林中2只雄性指猴的活动预算、饮食以及活动范围/领地情况。我们使用无线电遥测和焦点动物取样方法来收集行为数据。我们每隔20分钟记录一次焦点动物的GPS坐标，计算每个个体的活动范围大小。结果表明，雄性指猴大部分时间都在觅食和移动。它们的觅食时间主要集中在各种基质上的幼虫和成年昆虫，在较小程度上还包括橄榄科植物的种子。这两只雄性指猴的活动范围大小因个体而异，有很大重叠，并且似乎与雌性的位置有关。我们的研究结果表明，指猴的行为强烈表明其以昆虫为中心的觅食生态。
