Science Diary: Monkeys - Leaf Eaters: The Pulse of the Planet daily radio program offers free legal online mp3 downloads, exploring the world of sound in nature, culture and science, with audio adventures, world music, extraordinary sound portraits, science diaries, and nature ring-tones; an amazing sonic experience.



Airdate: Jan 12, 2009
Scientist: Tracie McKinney

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 ANIMALS ,Monkeys ,Adaptation


Science Diary: Monkeys - Leaf Eaters

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Costa Rican monkeys are adapting to human disturbances.
Transcript:

music; ambience: howler monkeys

You should be watching as many monkeys as you can see, but if anybody eats anything, write it down. If nothing happens, its still data.

In the forests of Costa Rica, primatologist Tracie McKinney and a team of Earth Watch volunteers are observing a troop of Howler monkeys. What the monkeys are willing to eat may be a clue to helping them in their continued survival. Welcome to Pulse of the Planets Science Diaries, a glimpse of the world of science from the inside.

I'm looking at human disturbance and how it impacts two species of monkeys: the white-faced capuchin monkey and the mantled howler monkey. Both of these species are responding fairly well to human change, but they are still declining in Costa Rica.

[ambience: rain]

So we dont have a lot of answers yet, but Im beginning to see some trends. For example, howler monkeys eat leaves. But the fact that howlers are fairly flexible in their diet theyll eat a lot of fruits when its available, even though they can eat only leaves seems to be a pretty major factor in their success. They can forage through coffee plantations. They can forage in mango plantations. They can use a lot of trees in agricultural areas. That allows them to have a little bit more breadth. They dont have to stay right in primary forest. They can move into secondary forest and sometimes even more disturbed habitats. This kind of project is going to be very, very long term. Monkeys have a long life span. It takes quite a while for one generation to breed and raise the next generation. So things that were doing now will be impacting monkeys 10 and 20 years down the road.

Well hear more on the monkeys of Costa Rica in future programs. Check out our latest project on kidsciencechallenge.com.

Pulse of the Planets Science Diaries are made possible by the National Science Foundation. Im Jim Metzner.

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Science Diary: Monkeys - Leaf Eaters