title: Food resources, distribution and seasonal variations in ranging in lion-tailed macaques, Macaca silenus in the Western Ghats, India.
abstract: The distribution and availability of food was examined to see how it influenced ranging patterns and sleeping site selection in a group of lion-tailed macaques. The home range and core area were 130.48 ha (95% kernel) and 26.68 ha (50% kernel) respectively. The lion-tailed macaques had a longer day range, had a greater number of sleeping sites and used more core areas in the summer as compared to the monsoon and the post-monsoon seasons. The ranging patterns and sleeping site use were influenced by the major food resources used in a particular season. The ranging was mainly influenced by Artocarpus heterophyllus in monsoon, Cullenia exarillata and Toona ciliata in post- monsoon, and Artocarpus heterophyllus and Ficus amplissima in summer. The distribution of these four plant species is, therefore, critical to ranging, and thus to conservation of the lion-tailed macaque.
authors.affiliation: Biopsychology Laboratory, University of Mysore, Mysore, 570 006, India.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Erinjery
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kavana
authors.forename: Mewa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006702:Homing Behavior; D007194:India; D008251:Macaca / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons