Dieta e Comportamento Alimentar de Leontopithecus chrysomelas (Callitrichidae) em Áreas Degradadas da Mata Atlântica do Sul da Bahia, Brasil/Diet and Feeding Behavior of Leontopithecus chrysomelas (Callitrichidae) in Degraded Areas of the Atlantic Forest of South-Bahia, Brazil
Abstract Habitat disturbance alters plant diversity and foodresource availability, affecting the ecology, and ultimately the survival and reproduction, of species depending on those plants. Studies in degraded areas serve to improve our understanding of the consequences of habitat modification for endangered species and to guide conservation actions. We studied diet composition, monthly variation in feeding behavior and fruitfeedingtime, and dietary diversity in two golden-headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) groups ranging in a degraded area of the Atlantic Forest in South-Bahia, Brazil, over a 12-mo period. We recorded feeding behavior and food items consumed through continuous observations and focal animal sampling, and performed dietary analyses on samples from consumed fruits. Substrate manipulation to search for animalprey was the feeding activity most frequently observed, followed by fruitconsumption. We observed nectardrinking and exudatefeeding at low frequencies from April through July. Bromeliads were the principal foraging substrate. We observed the use of 114 plant species, confirming the large dietary diversity reported for the species. Individual trees from the familyMelastomataceae, common in degraded forests, accounted for the highest visiting frequencies (40 percent). Fruit availability was the main factor explaining variation in monthly fruitfeedingtime, despite the absence of climatic seasonality. Nutritional or energetic characteristics did not affectfruit choice. Differences in floristic composition appear to be a major determinant of the speciesÆ diet in different study areas. Regional forest restoration programs should consider including advanced forest species, to improve both forest quality and animal mobility between fragments (AU)