Feeding ecology of the long-tailed macaque(Macaca fascicularis) in Kalimantan Tengah,Indonesia

I studied long- tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis)feeding behavior and ecology as part of a larger behavioral ecological study at the Natai Lengkuas Station, Tanjung Puting National Park, Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia. I collected data on feeding behavior via scan sampling of all visible individuals in the focal group (approximately 800 observation hours). I established vegetational plots and monitored them monthly to determine food availability and abundance. I found long- tailed macaques to be primarily frugivorous;leaves, flowers, insects and bark provided the remainder of the diet. They used at least 33 plant species as food sources, but >60% of the diet was provided by only 5 species. Based on previous vegetational analyses, these tree species were among the highest in relative density. However, selection ratios for 19 food species indicate that 13 of them were selected more often than expected. Long- tailed macaques appear to be selective feeders but can exploit a variety of food sources during periods of food scarcity.