Digestion of selected foods by Yunnan snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti (Colobinae)

Three digestion trials were conducted to quantify aspects of digestive phys iology in the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti, a foregut ferme nter that feeds primarily on lichens. Mean retention time (MRT, the average time plastic markers spent in the animal) had a mean estimate of 47 hr (n = 3) with high variability between trials (standard deviation = 17 hr). Rec ently captured animals, presumably with gut flora and digestive physiology close to wild animals, had a longer retention time than did long-term capti ves, although lack. of standardization across trials (such as in activity l evel) confounds analysis. Apparent digestibilities for dry matter (71-80%) were in line with other studies of colobine digestion, but fall below those of ruminant ungulates feeding on lichens. Fecal analysis accurately determ ined the relative proportions of leaves vs. lichens in diets; mature leaves and lichens were not nutritional equivalents but appeared to be physiologi cal equivalents in terms of digest passage. Fecal analysis does not, howeve r, accurately determine the relative proportions of food types with differe nt digestibilities, such as fruit vs, leaves. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.