Diet
The diet of the golden-crowned sifaka consists of a wide variety of plants—as many as 80 species—whose availability varies based on the season. It is a seed predator, making seeds a year-round staple in its diet when available. The golden-crowned sifaka also eats unripe fruits, flowers, and leaves. One study showed a diet composition of 37% unripe fruit and seeds, 22% immature leaves, 17% mature leaves, 13% flowers, and 9% fruit pulp. Individuals have also been observed consuming tree bark during the dry season. In general, approximately 60% of its diet consists of unripe fruits and seed, mainly from leguminous pods, and less than 50% consists of leaves. At Daraina, it has been observed feeding on the sakoa tree (Poupartia caffra) and on mango trees. Immature leaves and flowers are eaten when available, in the early wet season. Daily traveling distance tends to increase when immature leaves are available. Studies have also shown that when food distribution is patchy, feeding times are shorter and more time is spent traveling. Dietary diversity has been shown to be consistent between populations, suggesting that it is important for the lemur to get a varied mix of nutrients and to protect itself from high levels of specific plant toxins.
A study in 1993 showed variability and flexibility in feeding preferences between three research sites around Daraina. Plant species preferences (measured in feeding time) changed between wetter, intermediate, and drier forests:
| Wetter sites | Intermediate sites | Driest sites | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Favored plant families | Fabaceae Sapindaceae Anacardiaceae Myrtaceae Annonaceae |
Fabaceae Anacardiaceae Olacaceae Araliaceae Malvaceae |
Fabaceae Sapindaceae Anacardiaceae Ebenaceae Combretaceae |
| Favored plant species | Cynometra sp. (Fabaceae) Filicium longifolium (Sapindaceae) Eugenia sp. (Myrtaceae) Cordyla madagascariensis (Fabaceae) Xylopia flexuosa (Annonaceae) |
Cynometra sp. (Fabaceae) Baudouinia fluggeiformis (Fabaceae) Albizia boivini (Fabaceae) Pongamiopsis sp. (Fabaceae) Olax lanceolata (Olacaceae) |
Pongamiopsis cloiselli (Fabaceae) Diospyros lokohensis (Ebenaceae) Terminalia sp. 1 (Combretaceae) Erythrophysa belini (Sapindaceae) Tamarindus indica (Fabaceae) |
Read more about this topic: Golden-crowned Sifaka, Behavior
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