Marilyn A. Norconk, PhD

Fieldwork Photos

Marilyn A. Norconk

Nutritional analysis of fruits, seeds,
and leaves eaten by saki monkeys

Venezuelan white-faced sakis ingest an annual diet rich in seeds, but also include young leaves daily, and insects and ripe, fleshy fruit seasonally. This combination of items provided an annual intake that was rich in lipids (range = 11.43% to 27.46% DM seasonally, n = 4), high in total dietary fiber (range = 25.35% to 40.76% DM), seasonally high in free simple sugars (range = 4.00% to 21.31% DM), and moderate in crude protein (range = 3.98% to 12.64% DM) [see Table 1] (Norconk M.A. & Conklin-Brittain 2004). The fruit sample above is Pouteria melanopoda (Sapotaceae) the seeds of which were eaten by bearded sakis during our 2003 census of primates at Brownsberg Nature Park in Suriname.

 

Nutritional analysis of plant parts eaten (E) and not eaten (NE) by white-faced sakis in Lago Guri (from Norconk & Conklin-Brittain, 2004). In the case of seeds, the designation "immature" and "mature" refer to fruit maturity and dispersal capability, not necessarily to seed size. Seeds of immature fruit were usually full sized when eaten, but the fruit had not yet dehisced, or color of fruit indicated that it was not fully ripe. Analysis funded by NSF SBE 98-07516.

See related publications:
Norconk et al., 2009 (PDF 782KB)

 

Values are expressed in %DM (dry matter), except tannins (expressed in %QU:quebracho units). (FSS = free simple sugars; TNC = total nonstructural carbohydrates; NDF = neutral detergent fiber; ADF = acid detergent fiber; CT = condensed tannins; RD = radial diffusion of hydrolyzable tannins.) Maturity: I = immature; M = mature. Plant species used in the multiple regression analysis are indicated (*). [Abbreviations for plant families: Ann = Annonaceae, Big = Bignoniaceae; Bor = Boraginaceae; Bur = Burseraceae; Cae = Caesalpinioideae (Leguminosae); Cap = Capparidacae; Cel = Celastraceae; Chr = Chrysobalanaceae; Con = Connaraceae; Ery = Erythroxylaceae; Eup = Euphorbiaceae; Fla = Flacourtiaceae; Log = Loganiaceae; Lor = Loranthaceae; Mim = Mimosoideae (Leguminosae); Mor = Moraceae; Myr = Myrtaceae; Och = Ochnaceae; Pas= Passifloraceae; Pap= Papilionoideae (Leguminosae); Polyga = Polygalaceae; Polygo = Polygonaceae; Rub = Rubiaceae; Rut = Rutaceae; Sapot = Sapotaceae; Sapin = Sapindaceae; Sol = Solanaceae]

 

Table 1.
Plant Species Plant
Family
Eaten/
Not
eaten
Plant part
and
maturity
Lipids FSS CP TNC NDF ADF Lignin CT RD
Actinostemon schomburgkii* Eup E seed (I) 24.2 14.7 22.7 12.3 23.1 12.6 5.2 0.0 18.0
Alibertia latifolia* Rub E drupe (M) 1.3 28.8 6.1 29.7 31.9 21.0 13.1 0.2 0.0
Alibertia latifolia Rub E seed (I) 0.7 7.1 22.1 14.3 52.0 21.6 13.4 0.3 0.0
Amaioua corymbosa* Rub E drupe (M) 13.6 6.5 7.1 11.9 58.6 39.7 15.7 3.9 2.8
Amaioua corymbosa Rub NE drupe (M) 2.6 7.5 9.1 23.4 53.5 39.0 21.5 3.8 3.9
Amphilophium paniculatum Big E seed (I) 18.6 -- 21.5 -- -- -- 0.0 --
Angostura trifoliate* Rut E seed (I) -- 2.1 24.2 -- 50.2 40.1 35.0 17.7 13.9
Bignoniaceae pod #187* Big E seed (I) 2.0 -- 14.7 10.9 66.2 52.3 15.5 0.0 --
Brosimum guianense Mor E drupe (M) 2.3 -- 7.6 -- -- -- -- --
Capparis flexuosa* Cap E leaves (Y) 2.1 9.4 14.3 20.6 51.8 37.2 16.6 0.3 --
Capparis muco Cap NE leaves (Y) 1.6 3.6 16.2 7.3 62.1 40.0 14.5 0.0 --
Capparis muco* Cap E pulp (M) 3.1 21.4 18.7 39.4 11.9 8.3 1.1 0.7 0.0
Capparis muco Cap NE pulp (I) 0.0 15.2 17.7 26.2 37.3 11.6 1.0 0.0 --
Capparis muco Cap E seed (M) 18.6 10.1 22.2 12.4 33.0 22.7 8.4 0.1 0.0
Capparis muco Cap NE seed (I) 8.2 14.7 37.0 0.0 39.7 27.5 6.7 0.2 --
Casearia spinescens Fla E seed (I) -- 1.8 23.3 -- 41.8 31.5 13.0 13.4 9.0
Casearia sylvestris* Fla E drupe (I) 29.9 -- 18.4 6.6 41.7 30.4 13.2 -- 2.1
Chiococca alba var. purple* Rub E drupe (M) 7.8 -- 6.7 49.0 31.7 20.0 5.5 0.3 0.7
Chrysophyllum lucentifolium* Sapo E seed (I) 9.0 26.4 15.7 22.4 24.0 2.5 0.1 0.0 0.5
Coccoloba fallax* Polygo E leaves (Y) 0.8 2.3 15.4 33.0 42.8 36.6 20.4 10.7 26.4
Coccoloba fallax Polygo NE leaves (M) 1.4 2.2 7.9 21.6 63.1 54.0 22.9 6.2 27.7
Coccoloba striata Polygo NE drupe (I) 1.1 8.6 7.5 39.1 43.7 28.7 16.5 2.9 16.3
Coccoloba striata* Polygo E drupe (M) 0.9 15.9 6.1 40.1 34.9 21.0 11.4 2.2 13.9
Connarus venezuelanus* Con E aril (M) 64.2 4.0 12.6 15.4 3.8 2.5 1.0 0.4 0.0
Connarus venezuelanus* Con E seed (I) 48.7 2.3 11.3 15.1 20.2 14.3 7.4 2.1 5.6
Copaifera pubiflora Cae NE seed (I) 5.9 14.8 9.8 51.7 15.2 7.9 2.8 1.5 5.5
Copaifera pubiflora* Cae E seed (M) 4.8 21.4 7.4 41.9 22.2 14.4 7.0 4.1 4.5
Dendropthtora ottonis Lor E seed (I) 18.3 -- 8.2 18.8 54.6 23.7 17.6 2.6 11.1
Dendrophthora ottonis Lor E seed (M) 47.7 -- 9.0 8.3 35.0 25.0 20.3 -- --
Dioclea guianensis Pap E flowers -- -- -- -- 37.1 14.9 -- --
Plant Species Plant
Family
Eaten/
Not
eaten
Plant part
and
maturity
Lipids FSS CP TNC NDF ADF Lignin CT RD
Erythroxylum steyermarkii* Ery E drupe (M) 11.7 -- 3.5 50.3 34.5 20.6 2.7 2.2 2.8
Eugenia monticola Myr E drupe (M) 1.2 -- 5.1 52.9 37.5 19.0 10.8 1.6 5.5
Hirtella racemosa* Chr E drupe (M) 2.3 -- 7.1 0.9 72.6 67.3 41.0 12.1 9.7
Licania discolor Chr NE leaves (M) 1.5 6.7 6.7 18.3 67.4 54.7 28.9 11.6 12.1
Licania discolor* Chr E exocarp (M) 2.5 26.6 9.0 22.7 39.2 29.9 16.4 8.8 9.0
Licania discolor* Chr E seed (M) 49.7 1.9 6.6 0.4 39.9 36.6 31.1 9.9 6.3
Maprounea guianensis Eup NE seed (M) 41.7 3.3 16.4 10.5 28.1 23.1 14.2 1.1 0.0
Maprounea guianensis Eup NE seed (I) 47.3 1.0 13.6 12.6 25.5 21.0 11.9 1.0 2.4
Maytenus guianensis Cel NE leaves (M) 3.2 7.7 8.3 22.8 52.3 41.7 15.3 8.6 --
Maytenus guianensis* Cel E leaves (Y) 2.6 13.4 12.8 30.6 35.2 25.9 13.7 15.9 --
Morinda tenuiflora* Rub E drupe (M) 7.4 7.6 14.2 19.2 46.6 30.4 11.2 1.4 0.0
Oryctanthus alveolatus* Lor E drupe (M) 38.3 3.4 9.6 28.8 19.9 10.5 6.5 2.4 4.9
Ouratea guildingii Och E seed (I) 0.0 7.4 12.3 40.0 37.3 11.3 5.7 25.7 22.2
Ouratea guildingii Och NE seed (M) 0.3 10.0 9.7 46.5 31.9 22.6 9.6 44.8 52.0
Ouratea roraimae* Och E seed (M) 3.2 -- 4.3 26.3 63.0 16.1 11.3 -- --
Ouratea schomburgkii Och NE leaves (M) 0.3 -- 9.9 23.2 62.7 58.3 38.0 9.5 15.3
Peltogyne floribunda Cae NE seed (M) 0.6 5.9 7.9 29.8 54.2 47.6 25.5 8.0 25.3
Peltogyne floribunda* Cae E seed (I) 2.7 11.1 6.6 52.8 24.2 9.9 5.8 6.8 10.1
Piptadenia leucoxylon* Mim E seed (I) 3.2 -- 25.6 36.0 31.5 22.0 8.0 3.9 5.5
Pyrostegia dichotoma Big E flower 1.4 -- 16.1 58.5 21.5 15.1 4.0 -- --
Securidaca scandens* Polyga E seed (M) 47.6 -- 13.8 16.5 20.6 15.4 0.0 0.0
Solanum  paludosum* Sol E seed (I) 18.3 10.1 10.7 4.5 53.6 38.2 20.5 0.3 0.0
Strychnos fendleri Log NE seed (M) 5.6 5.8 7.0 17.3 62.3 24.8 4.2 0.0 0.0
Strychnos mitscherlichii Log NE seed (M) 0.8 3.2 58.8 36.0 14.5 6.5 0.0
Strychnos mitscherlichii* Log E mesocarp (M) 0.2 44.7 1.1 38.2 14.8 9.5 2.8 0.0 0.0
Tabebuia serratifolia* Big E YL 1.6 24.5 20.9 48.6 22.3 6.1
Talisia retusa Sapin NE seed (M) 1.8 -- 5.5 48.1 43.1 3.8 1.0 1.3 44.4
Talisia retusa* Sapin E mesocarp (M) 0.4 -- 6.9 50.6 39.1 30.1 21.3 11.9 31.9
Xylopia aromatica* Ann E seed (M) 2.2 -- 10.8 20.0 65.0 53.3 27.6 14.0 13.2
Plant Species Plant
Family
Eaten/
Not
eaten
Plant part
and
maturity
Lipids FSS CP TNC NDF ADF Lignin CT RD

 

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Publications

Norconk, M.A., Oftedal, O.T., Power, M.L., Jakubasz, M., Savage, A. 2002. Digesta passage and fiber digestibility in captive white-faced sakis (Pithecia pithecia). American Journal of Primatology 58:23-34. [PDF 135KB]