Food choice from endemic North Carolina tree species by captive prosimians (Lemur fulvus)
Abstract
Seven captive‐born lemurs (Lemur fulvus) at the Duke University Primate Center were
presented with leaves of different maturity from five species of North Carolina trees.
The animals demonstrated three distinct behaviors toward the novel plant material.
They sniffed, tasted, and/or ingested it. New leaves were sniffed, but little tasting
and ingestion was observed. Intermediate pine needles were sniffed and ingested but
little tasted. Mature leaves were sniffed equally, but the mature leaves of tulip
trees and honeysuckle were tasted significantly more than pine, sweetgum, and red
maple. Pine, sweetgum, and red maple were ingested significantly more than tulip trees
and honeysuckle. Male lemurs ate significantly more mature pine needles and new sweetgum
leaves than did the females. Chemical analysis of these plant materials indicated
that the new and mature leaves of tulip tree and honeysuckle contained alkaloids.
Captive‐born lemurs apparently use their sense of smell and taste in choosing what
to eat and seem just as capable as free‐ranging animals in finding food when faced
with the chemical defenses that protect trees from insect predation. Copyright © 1983
Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company
Type
Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6295Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1002/ajp.1350050306Publication Info
Glander, Kenneth E; & Rabin, Dori P (1983). Food choice from endemic North Carolina tree species by captive prosimians (Lemur
fulvus). American Journal of Primatology, 5(3). pp. 221-229. 10.1002/ajp.1350050306. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6295.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Kenneth Earl Glander
Professor Emeritus of Evolutionary Anthropology
Primate ecology and social organization: the interaction between feeding patterns
and social structure; evolutionary development of optimal group size and composition;
factors affecting short and long-term demographic changes in stable groups; primate
use of regenerating forests.

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