Comportamento alimentar e interações intergrupais de Saguinus bicolor (Primates: Callitrichidae) em um fragmento florestal urbano na cidade de Manaus, Amazonas

Abstract

Saguinus bicolor, popularly known as the pied bare-faced tamarin, is a small primate endemic to the Amazon, restricted to the municipalities of Manaus, Itacoatiara and Rio Preto da Eva. The present study investigated the behavioral patterns and interactions between two groups of pied bare-faced tamarins at the Mindú Municipal Park, in Manaus, Amazonas. Data collection was conducted using the instantaneous scanning or scan sampling technique between August 2018 and June 2019. The main food resources consumed by pied bare-faced tamarins were fruits (88 %), flowers (7 %), gum (3 %) and arthropods (2 %). The groups also used 16 plant species and six animal species (insects and spiders) in their diet. The high degree of frugivory, the presence of intact seeds in the feces and the distance from these to the mother plant indicate that the primates may be good seed dispersers for some plant species in the park. There were observations of one of the groups leaving the park in search for food. It was observed that the two groups take the same route on consecutive days at different times, probably to avoid intraspecific encounters and consequently energy expenditure. It is essential for the conservation of S. bicolor in this urban fragment that we continue monitoring the ecology and behavior of this species.