Ingestion of calcium solutions by common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Callithrix jacchus, the common marmoset, is a small New World primate that feeds on insects, fruit, and gum, and has a high reproductive rate for a pr imate, Insects are generally a poor source of dietary calcium, while gums m ay contain significant levels of calcium. Their high reproductive rate also suggests that reproductive female C. jacchus might be susceptible to calci um deficiency. Thus, we hypothesized that common marmosets might find solut ions containing calcium to be palatable. We used choice experiments to exam ine this phenomenon in 14 male and 19 female common marmosets, Animals were presented with identical water bottles containing either deionized water o r a calcium lactate solution (either 2% or 4% calcium lactate by weight) an d intake was measured. Serum 25-OH-vitamin D was monitored in a subset of t he animals in the experiment to examine the role of vitamin D in this behav ior. Our results demonstrated that C. jacchus can distinguish between plain water and a calcium lactate solution, and that in general they prefer calc ium solutions. Although animals with marginal vitamin D status did have str ong preferences for calcium solutions, they did not ingest significantly mo re of the calcium solutions than animals that were vitamin D-replete. Nulli parous females and males did not differ in the amounts of calcium solutions ingested. Lactating females ingested the greatest volume of the calcium so lutions, Am. J. Primatol. 47:255-261, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.