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Nutritional Implications of the High-Elevation Lifestyle of Rhinopithecus bieti

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High Altitude Primates

Part of the book series: Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects ((DIPR))

Abstract

The endangered black-and-white snub-nosed monkey, Rhinopithecus bieti, consumes a diet that often consists primarily of lichen, which serves as both a dietary staple and an important fallback food, particularly in winter. The colobine lineage of R. bieti may explain how this primate is able to subsist for long periods on this low-protein food and detoxify its toxins. Climate change will have profound impacts on the flora of this region, particularly on lichen, and it is increasingly important to establish baseline surveys of lichen in this region to understand how the R. bieti population will be affected.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Measured as crude protein (CP) and acid detergent fiber (ADF).

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  1. Busch Gardens Tampa, 3605 E. Bougainvillea Ave, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Heidi Bissell

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  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Nanda B. Grow

  2. Texas A&M University, College Station, USA

    Sharon Gursky-Doyen

  3. Texas A&M University, College Station, USA

    Alicia Krzton

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Bissell, H. (2014). Nutritional Implications of the High-Elevation Lifestyle of Rhinopithecus bieti . In: Grow, N., Gursky-Doyen, S., Krzton, A. (eds) High Altitude Primates. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8175-1_11

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