Measuring fig foraging frequency of the Yakushima macaque by using automatic cameras

An automatic camera system was employed to reveal the fig foraging frequenc y of primary seed dispersers on Yakushima Island, southern Japan. Seven aut omatic cameras were settled on sample branches of Ficus superba (Miq.) Mig. var, japonica Mig. to record animals foraging for figs. Figs on sample bra nches were counted at approximately 3 day intervals. The cameras took 168 p hotographs including 155 pictures of Yakushima macaques and two of birds, i ndicating that most of the figs at the inner parts of the crowns were eaten by the macaques. There was a linear relationship between the number of mac aques foraging for figs on sample branches and the number of figs that disa ppeared within each period, suggesting that the automatic camera system was useful for estimating fig loss as a result of the foraging activity of the macaques on a branch basis.