| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: Twelve wild born mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), six males, six females, were studied in a 1.4-ha forest enclosure in Gabon Africa. Seventy-six percent of their food was obtained from the ground (45% unidentified food objects foraged from the leaf litter, 21% from ground plants, and 10% animal matter) while 23% was taken from arboreal sources (10% from trees, 10% from vines, and 3% from shrubs). Plant parts eaten include seeds, roots, fruits, stem pith, apical branch ends, mature and immature leaves, nuts, buds, blossoms, and bark. There were significant dietary differences between sexes. There were also individual dietary differences both in preferred foods and arboreal vs terrestrial foraging locations. At nearly all times of the day at least 70% of the study group was on the ground. Sixty-four percent of their time was spent feeding, with females spending more time feeding than males. High rates of feeding were seen throughout the day, with high individual variances, which is explained by individual food preferences and a temporal partitioning of the food resources. These findings are compared to those observed in wild mandrills and other baboons. |
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