Feeding Ecology of Colobus Monkey (Colobus Guereza, Ruppell 1835) in Bonga Forest South West Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/jwc.v1i1.4170Keywords:
Consumption Frequency, Feeding Ecology, Guereza, Habitat, Scan Sampling, SeasonAbstract
A study on the feeding ecology of the colobus monkey (Colobus guereza) was conducted in Bonga forest, Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to investigate the feeding habits and diet composition of Colobus guereza. Scan sampling method was used throughout the study to record the feeding activities. The Data was collected during dry season and wet season. In order to analyse the data Chi-square and mann-U-tests were used by using SPSS version 23 software. According to the result of this study, a total of 13 tree plant species were know to be consumed by colobus monkey at the study site. Out of these, the top three are; Milletia ferruginea (33.3%), Sapium ellipticum (24.95%) and Olea welwitschii (23.7%) were commonly consumed in both seasons. Moreover, seasonal variation in the study area were occurred when Guereza consume different plant parts. During the dry season, colobus monkey preferred more of leaves and flowers, while they preferred leaves and fruits during wet season. Statistically, there was a significant difference in feeding records of plant parts consumed by colobus monkey across seasons (P=0.003˂0.05). In conclusion, colobus monkey is more abundant in the Bonga forest area due to the diversity and intactness of habitats that meet the needs of the species. Therefore, future research would be conducted on the feeding ecology of guerezas in different parts of southern region in particular and Ethiopia in general to conserve this species and its living ecosystem.
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