Plant species fed on by wild ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at nine sites

A key aspect of a primate’s ecology is its food source – the very nature
of which is spatially and seasonally dependent, and may be affected by
anthropic pressures. One of the most endangered, yet best-studied,
strepsirrhine primates is the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) – a species
that has experienced significant human-induced habitat loss over many
decades. To help understand feeding variability across time and space, I
present a literature review of plant species (and parts) fed on by
ring-tailed lemurs at nine sites in Madagascar: Ambatotsirongorongo,
Andringitra Massif, Anja Reserve, Antserananomby, Berenty Reserve, Bezà
Mahafaly Special Reserve, Cap Sainte-Marie, Tsaranoro Valley Forest, and
Tsimanampetsotsa National Park. I gathered literature using keyword
searches on Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/), and verified
scientific names using the “Catalogue of the Plants of Madagascar”
(http://legacy.tropicos.org/Project/Madagascar). From 24 studies, I
identify 221 genera and 241 species of consumed plants, with 92
genera and 70 species consumed at two or more sites. Based on the
available distribution data, 63% of species are endemic and 22% native.
Sixty-seven plants are known only by Malagasy common names and
excluded from analyses. When authors identify the plant tissue
consumed, 52% of species in the diet are represented by a single
tissue type, typically leaves (mature and immature) or fruit (ripe or
unripe). This review highlights the importance of studying multiple
populations when creating dietary summaries of species and should prove
valuable to those exploring ecological trends and habitat use by
ring-tailed lemurs.