Comparative Primate Post

Comparing Primate Diets

            Lemurs live only live in Madagascar and its neighboring islands. Madagascar has a wet season and dry season. The wet season is from December-April and the dry season is from May- November. There are cyclones in the east and northeast. The west and southwest get very hot during the summer. The temperature ranges from 46°-82° depending on what season it is. Bigger lemurs like the ring-tailed lemur are diurnal and smaller lemurs like the mouse lemur are nocturnal. Fruit makes up most of their diet, but they also eat leaves, flowers, tree bark, sap, and insects. The lemurs have adapted in different ways to survive on the island. The aye-aye has a long middle finger that it uses to tap on branches to locate larvae. Once the larvae are located they use their teeth to get the bugs out. Most lemurs only live in the trees, but ring-tailed lemurs have adapted and spend a lot of time on the ground. They love to sit on the ground in groups and sunbathe and forage for food. Ring-tailed lemurs are female dominated societies and the higher ranking females get access to the best food and mates. 

An aye-aye using its long middle finger to eat an egg and a ring-tailed lemur eating on the ground.

Spider monkeys live in tropical rainforests in Central and South America and are new world monkeys. There are distinct wet and dry seasons. The rainforests are humid and the temperature averages 79°.  They enjoy eating nuts, fruit, leaves, bird eggs, and spiders. Spider monkeys have adapted to their rainforest environment by using their tails and arms to move from branch to branch. They forage for food in small groups on the tops of trees. When they forage for food they can hold on to branches with just their tails and use their arms and hands to grab food.

A spider monkey hanging on a branch with just its tail

Baboons are old world monkeys and live in Africa and Arabia near the Red Sea. Baboons are the world’s largest monkeys. They like to live in the savanna, rainforest, and semi-arid climates. In the savanna there is rain in the summer and it is dry in the winter. There are fewer plants available in winter because they shrivel up and die. The temperature is pretty constant and ranges from 70°-80°. Baboons like to eat fruit, grasses, seeds, bark, roots, birds, rodents, and small baby mammals. They have adapted to their environment by becoming opportunistic eaters. They can live in troops that range from 30-100 individuals and are a male dominated society. They spend most of their time on the ground but climb trees to eat, sleep, and watch out for danger. 

A baboon eating a carrot.

 

Gibbons live in the dense forests of Southeast Asia. Their habitat is tropical and humid all year long. The average temperature is 80°.  There are summer monsoons from April-September. Gibbons love to eat fruit, especially figs. When fruit is not available they will eat leaves and insects. They have adapted to their habitat by developing very strong legs and arms to propel themselves through the trees. Their hands are hooked shaped to grasp the branches and they have long arms to grab fruit on the ends of branches. They can travel through the jungle at speeds up to 35 miles per hour and jump gaps as wide as 50 feet. They prefer to live in the trees and rarely go on the ground. 

A gibbon holding on to a branch with one hand and eating.

 

            Chimpanzees are very social and live in the African rainforest, woodlands, and grasslands. The temperature can range from 68°-86° depending on where they live. They prefer to live in the rainforest, which is warm, rainy, and humid. The grasslands do not get a lot of rain and there are not a lot of plants during the dry season. Chimpanzees usually eat fruits, plants, and nuts, but will also eat insects, eggs, meat, and carrion. They are very smart and have found many ways to adapt. They use tools to get insects out of nests and logs. They use stones to smash nuts and leaves to soak up drinking water. They can walk upright or swing from branch to branch in the trees. They like to eat and sleep in the trees and build nests out of leaves to sleep in. 

A chimpanzee using a stick to eat termites.

 

            Overall I observed though my research that these 5 primates eat very similar foods like fruits, plants, and insects. They also live in similar environments. Baboons and chimpanzees eat more meat than the other monkeys. Their environment can be very harsh and plants are not always available. Chimpanzees developed the use of tools to help them out and baboons became opportunistic eaters to stay alive. Gibbons and spider monkeys have each adapted for tree life. Gibbons have special hands, arms, and legs to help them survive in the trees. Spider monkeys have developed super strong tails to hold their bodies while they forage for food. Lemurs are the most isolated group living in Madagascar. This gave them the opportunity to diversify into all sizes of lemurs like the ring-tailed lemur and the aye-aye.