DIETARY SELECTION BY YAKUSHIMA MACAQUES (MACACA-FUSCATA YAKUI) - THE INFLUENCE OF FOOD AVAILABILITY AND TEMPERATURE

I examined dietary selection by Yakushima macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui) in relation to food availability and air temperature. Multiple regression analysis indicates that both food availability and temperature influenced the selection of foods. Feeding on young leaves, seeds, and flowers was affected more by availability while feeding on fruits, mature leaves, and fallen seeds was affected more by temperature. Feeding on insects is strongly correlated with temperature, perhaps because availability of insects increased with temperature. These results suggest that temperature influences dietary selection of Yakushima macaques by changing the energy expenditure required for thermoregulation and through its influence on the accessibility to insects, which are an important protein source for the monkeys.