Oral Processing Behavior of Diana Monkeys (Cercopithecus diana) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire

Diana monkeys (Cercopithecus diana) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, do not rely on difficult-to-process foods when preferred fruits are scarce. Instead, they maintain a diet of relatively easy-to-process items year-round, even as fruit availability fluctuates. The study analyzed 11,906 feeding events, revealing that invertebrates required the least oral processing, followed by fruits and leaves. Preferred fruits were processed with fewer mastications than nonpreferred ones, despite no direct link between fruit preference and availability. This behavior may stem from Taï Forest’s high tree diversity and productivity, offering a stable food source without clear fallback options. The research combined focal follows (2016–2017) with phenological surveys (2004–2009) to document dietary shifts and processing behaviors.

Kane, E. E., Traff, J. N., Daegling, D. J., & Scott McGraw, W. (2020). Oral Processing Behavior of Diana Monkeys (Cercopithecus diana) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Folia Primatologica, 91(6), 541–557. https://doi.org/10.1159/000508072