Feeding Behavior of Sympatric Rhesus (Macaca Mulatta Zimmerman, 1780) and Assamese (Macaca Assamensis Mcclelland, 1840) Monkeys in Nagarjun Forest, Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal

Abstract

Feeding behavior of Sympatric Rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and Assamese (Macaca assamensis) Monkeys was studied on Nagarjun forest of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal. The study have been carried out from November 2015, to July 2016. Feeding behavior and food items of the monkeys were noted by scan sampling methods. Population of the studied troops were counted by direct counting of the individuals. Similarly quadrate method was used to analyze vegetation pattern of natural forest or monkey habitat. The total population of studied troops was found to be 93 individuals monkeys of Rhesus and 149 individual of Assamese monkeys. Only two species of monkeys; the Rhesus and Assamese monkeys were recorded from Nagarjun forest. Mostly monkeys were encountered from the pheriphery of the forest near to human settlement areas and in Army canteen areas where they could get provisioned food easily. Moreover monkeys were also encountered from the natural forests where they completely fed on plant parts and their dependence on provisioned food was null. During study it was recorded Rhesus monkeys fed on 72% on plants, 16% on crops, 9% of waste foods, and 3% on insects. Similarly Assamese monkeys fed on 67% on plants, 9% on crops, 19% on waste foods and 5% on insects. There was not significnt difference in the food items consumed by Rhesus and Assamese macaques (x2=6.198, df=3 p value<0.01). From the study frugivorous nature of macaque was recorded followed by folivorous nature where fruit constitute 48% for Rhesus and 51% for Assamese whereas leaf constitute 31% for Rhesus and 26% for Assamese. Macaques were also found feeding on leaf, flower, seeds and other parts of plants such as branches, twigs, shoot, seedlings, tubers and roots. There was not significant difference in the utilization of plant parts by the macaques during feeding time (x2=1.5, df=5, p value <0.01). Similarly the study showed that Rhesus spent 49% of time on foraging/feeding, 29% on locomotion, 15% on rest or inactive and 7% on grooming whereas Assamese spent 44% time on foraging/feeding, 26% on locomotion, 19% on rest or inactive and 11% on grooming. Thus the study showed that Rhesus were active forager/feeder and locomoter than Assamese macaques. There was significant difference in the general behavior of Rhesus and Assamese macaques (x2=27.10, df=3, p value<0.05). Rhesus fed on 41 plant species whereas Assamese fed on 39 plant species out of 46 plant species.