Seasonal variation in ranging patterns of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus bieti at Mt. Fuhe, China(In English)

摘要

From November 2000 to January 2002, data on range patterns and other behaviors were collected for a band of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus bieti at Mt. Fuhe (99°20′E, 26°25′N) to describe the seasonal variations of behaviors and their potential adaptations to a temperate environment. Due to the similarities of ranging patterns between following seasons, we pooled data and showed the results in categories of winter-spring and summer-autumn. The monkeys primarily fed on broad leaves and acted around sleeping sites year-round. In winter-spring, the monkeys often stayed at lower altitudes, had shorter daily path distances, and fed more on broadleaves, bamboo leaves and shoots than in summer-autumn, which was characterized by a reverse ranging mode and by incorporating more fruits in their diet. These seasonal ranging patterns and diets suggest that the movements of R. bieti at Mt. Fuhe are results of compromise between food availability and temperature variations and coincide with the ranging patterns of other temperate monkeys. In addition, the distribution of sleeping sites also influenced the pattern of monkeys utilizing different quadrats within home range[Acta Zoologica Sinica 50(5): 691-696, 2004].