Food and Feeding Activities of Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta Zimmermann 1780) in Different Altitudinal Habitats in Nepal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13840731Keywords:
Adaptation, Dhankuta, leaf, season, time investment, treeAbstract
Data on food and feeding activities are crucial for a deep understanding of monkey’s behavioral responses and adjustment to a particular habitat. The study aimed to find the food plant species, preferred parts, and food composition from May 2022 to April 2023 in three altitudinal varied habitats- Ramdhuni, Dharan, and Dhankuta of eastern Nepal. One troop of Rhesus monkeys was selected in each habitat, and a total of 2754 hours was spent observing the feeding behavior. Data were collected using the focal animal sampling method. There was a decrease in the occupancy of tree food species with an increase in the height of the habitat by 60.63%>51.02%>42.62%. There was a variation in the availability of food items with the changes of season in Ramdhuni, and there was no significant difference between Dharan and Dhankuta. A significant relation of food composition according to season change was found. The monkey preferred mostly fruits in all habitats. The most selected plants by monkeys were also analyzed. The number of parts of the plant eaten and time spent were well correlated except for the herbs in Dhankuta. In most cases, the availability of food items and their occupancy in food composition were positively correlated. Our results suggest planting plants in forests and bare areas to reduce human-monkey conflict.
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