DIETARY-INTAKE, FOOD COMPOSITION AND NUTRIENT INTAKE IN CAPTIVE ALAOTRAN GENTLE LEMURS HAPALEMUR GRISEUS ALAOTRENSIS

The Alaotran gentle lemur Hapalemur griseus alaotrensis is an endanger ed primate from Madagascar. As part of a conservation strategy for thi s taxon a captive breeding programme has been established at the Jerse y Wildlife Preservation Trust (JWPT). A, important part of successfull y maintaining and breeding these lemurs in captivity is an understandi ng of their nutritional needs. Restricted to a unique primate habitat of reed and papyrus beds around Lac Alaotra in Madagascar, this folivo rous lemur is maintained at JWPT on a mixture of fresh produce and for age. This paper describes research to measure dietary intake and compo sition of selected forage items in order to provide information on act ual nutrient intake. Two 7-day feeding trials measured daily intake in April and June of 1995, representing periods of poor and good quality forage availability respectively. Data were collected for two pairs o f animals, although just one pair was studied in both trials. Represen tative samples of the forage items were collected and analysed in dupl icate for crude protein, neutral detergent and acid detergent fibre an d the results comparing the composition of various plant parts are pre sented. The pair of lemurs tested in both trials appeared to obtain su fficient protein from the diet according to published requirements for primates (>16.7% on dry matter basis). They seemed to achieve this by selectivity in their choice of forage fraction. Chemical analysis of the plant parts selected (shoot tips, new leaves and new leaf bases) s howed them all to have a relatively high elude protein content and to be low in acid detergent fibre. Apical bamboo shoot tips Here found to contain 339g/kg crude protein and shoot bases of Phragmites reed 373g /kg, but amino acid determination found the sample of bamboo shoot tip s to be limiting in lysine.