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Theses
L'ontogenèse du comportement alimentaire du primate Eulemur fulvus en forêt sèche (Mayotte, Archipel des Comores) en relation avec le lien mère-jeune et la disponibilité des ressources alimentaires
Abstract : The ontogeny of the feeding behaviour of Eulemur fulvus has been studied in the dry forest of Mayotte Island (Comoro Archipelago) in relation to plant phenology and mother-young relationships. Four phases can be recognised: (1) from birth to the third month of life, the feeding ontogeny is marked by early periods of exploration and consumption; (2) the following two months correspond to the phase of feeding and social weaning; (3) the sixth and seventh months, the daily feeding activity rhythms are synchronised between the mother and its young; (4) when the young are between 10 and 12 months old, their diet are fully representative of the female adult diet. But this process is not a full reproduction of the feeding behaviour of the mother. During their first year of life, especially in the early phase of plant feeding, the young eat several food items which are not ingested by their mother. Thus, they partly gain knowledge of what to eat on their own. After the weaning period, they feed on protein-rich food items (like flowers). During the breast-feeding period, the mother ingests large amounts of food (especially flowers). Accordingly, the timing of birth and weaning (wet season) coincides with periods of increased availability of high-quality foods. This could explain the low mortality rate among young. In parallel, the occurrence of early periods of exploration suggests some flexibility in the feeding behaviour, which may account for the quick ecological adaptation of this species when colonizing new
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00002804
Contributor : Laurent Tarnaud <>
Submitted on : Monday, May 5, 2003 - 10:22:25 PM
Last modification on : Monday, December 14, 2020 - 9:55:34 AM
Long-term archiving on: : Friday, April 2, 2010 - 6:26:53 PM
Contributor : Laurent Tarnaud <>
Submitted on : Monday, May 5, 2003 - 10:22:25 PM
Last modification on : Monday, December 14, 2020 - 9:55:34 AM
Long-term archiving on: : Friday, April 2, 2010 - 6:26:53 PM