Dissertation Research: Individual Feeding Behavior in Population of Wild Lemur Catta on the Island of Madagascar

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This research is concerned with determining individual differences in feeding behavior in ring-tailed lemurs, Lemura catta. The researcher will compare feeding behavior and resource utilization in two groups of free-ranging lemurs in Madagascar. Specifically, the researcher will investigate the time spent in feeding, food consumption, and use of feeding sites by male and female adults. She will identify the effects of reproductive state, activity level, gender, age and social ranking on feeding behavior and diet. Even though ring-tailed lemurs are the best studied prosimians in captivity, wild Lemur catta have never been the subject of an in-depth study of this kind. It is expected that in addition to providing data on individual feeding behavior, the study will provide much-needed behavioral comparisons to other primates and humans. The research is timely and important. Information on feeding behavior is Lemurs, especially those living in the wild is sadly lacking. Prior studies have concentrated on differences in feeding behavior between different species or members of different groups of the same species, but very few have looked at variation in understanding the relationship between habitat, social structure, and the individual. In addition, the dwindling habitat of primates and the increase in hunting means that research of this type must be conducted soon in order to enhance the survival of species.