Factors affecting the drinking behavior of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra)

• Published in: Primates Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Dias, Pedro Américo D., Rangel-Negrín, Ariadna, Coyohua-Fuentes, Alejandro, Canales-Espinosa, Domingo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alouatta; Alouatta - physiology; Ambient temperature; Animal behavior; Animal Ecology; Animals; Behavior; Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Climate; Climatic conditions; Diet; Drinking Behavior; Drinking water; Evolutionary Biology; Feeding behavior; Female; Food; Fruits; Heat tolerance; Life Sciences; Male; Mexico; Monkeys & apes; News and Perspectives; Seasons; Temperature; Videotape Recording; Water availability; Water requirements; Zoology; Mexico; Mexico, Yucatan; Howler monkeys; Mexico; Water balance; Diet; Ambient temperature
• ISSN: 0032-8332; 1610-7365
• DOI: 10.1007/s10329-013-0383-1

Water is essential for animals, and is particularly critical for thermoregulation. Animals obtain water from three main sources, free water, water contained in food, and water produced in the body during metabolism. Howler monkeys (
Alouatta
spp.) spend a small proportion of their time drinking water and some populations have not been observed drinking, suggesting they obtain most of their water requirements in food or by metabolism. However, when howler monkeys have been observed drinking there is evidence suggesting the drinking is associated with low precipitation, temperature, and fruit consumption, and high mature leaf consumption, although it remains unclear which factors determine drinking by this genus. In this study we tested the hypothesis that drinking by howler monkeys results from increased hydration requirements in drier climates and from lower consumption of foods rich in water (e.g., new leaves, fruit). We tested this hypothesis by comparative analysis of 14 groups of Yucatán black howler monkeys (
A.

pigra
) living under different climatic conditions. From April 2005 to November 2008 we collected a total of 3,747.2 focal observation hours of the feeding and drinking behavior of 60 individuals, with data on ambient temperature and rainfall. Individuals spent more time drinking when they lived in habitats with higher maximum temperature and when they consumed more mature leaves. For this species, therefore, drinking seems to be linked to heat stress and a low availability of water in ingested food.