CONTINUING EDUCATION
Special
Topic: Intern Stephanie- Marmosets and Tamarins:
Chapter
13- Feeding ecology and behaviour of the genus Saguinus
Here at the sanctuary we have two types of Tamarins: 18
Cotton-Top Tamarins (S. oedipus)
and one Saddleback Tamarin (S. fuscicollis). In both species, their
small body sizes require high energy and high quality foods. To help keep them
healthy and happy we have created a special diet that reflects what they eat in
the wild. There are four primary components of the Tamarin diet: insects, ripe
fruits, plant exudates, and nectars.
Insectivory: Based on several field studies,
30-77 per cent of a Tamarin’s feeding and foraging time is spent focused on
insects. They are high in protein, which is essential to their diet. The
marmoset diet, eggs and nuts we feed them are used to replace most of the
needed protein, but on occasion, you can find the Tamarins hunting insects in
their enclosures.
 |
Cotton top tamarins find
sweet nectar in Hibiscus flowers
|
Ripe Fruits and Nectars: A high-energy resource,
ripe fruits and nectars make up 30-70 per cent of a Tamarin’s feeding time.
Unlike the variety seen in insect foraging, all species of Tamarins show a
similar pattern in finding and feeding on ripe fruits. They typically eat
fruits
with
single or very few large seeds (drupes and arillates, respectively). While
eating fruits in the wild, like many primates,
Tamarins aid in seed dispersal. The success of a seed that
is carried and fertilized by primates is much higher compared to just fallen
seeds.
Nectars are consumed primarily during the dry season, when
ripe fruits are limited. Our Tamarins are provided with browse and enrichment
that provides them with nectar. They also receive the needed nutrients found in
nectar through the Marmoset diet.
Exudates (Gums): Gums have been reported to
make up 58 per cent of Saddleback Tamarins’ diet during the dry season in
northeastern Peru. There is little known about the gums of various trees, but
is believed that they are high in calcium, which a vitamin that is lacking in
other parts of the Tamarin diet.
Due to their focus on specific tree and insect species,
Tamarins have ranging patterns that are varied and can spread to several
different food patches. This specific diet leads to the need for resources
defense. The importance of protecting a food resource is closely intertwined
with the importance of exploiting that same resource, which is occasionally
seen in some of our paired Tamarins.
References:-Rylands, A.B. Marmosets and Tamarins: Systematic,
Behaviour, and Ecology. 1993. New York: Oxford University Press.
Special Topic: Intern Mary
Spider
monkey conservation in the twenty-first century: recognizing risks and
opportunities
 |
| For the first time in his life, Carlos, a Spider Monkey at PPS, is able to move across aerial pathways using brachiation |
Several factors contribute to the distribution of spider
monkeys throughout Central and South America. The range of spider monkeys
occurs from southeastern Mexico to the southern Amazonian rainforest of central
Bolivia and western Brazil. The amounts of habitat available and environmental
catastrophes within these areas are the most influential factors affecting
spider monkey populations today.
The habitats of spider monkeys are being degraded
due to vegetation disturbance caused by selective logging and the clearing of
land for agricultural expansion. When deforestation occurs in a small area,
even if only a few of the trees in that area are cut down, it has a tremendous
impact on the species living in that area. The aerial pathways that spider
monkeys high up in the canopy were once able to utilize disappear and with less
ability to move populations of spider monkeys become isolated in these small
areas. This isolation creates a crowding effect in which resources, such as
ripe fruit, decrease rapidly.
Agricultural expansion can cause the same problems as
logging but there are also methods through which this type of disturbance can
be temporary and even benefit the species living in the area. Slash and burn
agriculture, seen in the Yucatan peninsula, is one example of sustainable
agriculture. Areas of land are used for 2-3 years and then left alone for a
minimum of 30 years. This allows spider monkeys to continue to use the land for
movement between habitats and also provides them with areas of forest that are
in different stages of growth, which means a wider variety of food to select
from.
The species of spider monkey at Pacific Primate Sanctuary Ateles geoffroyi is currently listed as
Endangered on the IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Red
List of Threatened Species. Most
spider monkey species are considered endangered or critically endangered with
one member, the brown spider monkey, holding a place on the World’s 25 Most
Endangered Primate List. Survival of spider monkey species depends heavily on
the humans who share their habitat. Protecting large areas of forest and
sustainable agriculture are just a couple of ways to help conserve the spider
monkey species.
References:
-Campbell, Christina J. Spider Monkeys: Behavior,
Ecology, and Evolution of the Genus Ateles
(Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology). UK.
Cambridge University Press. 2008.
-Cuarón, A.D., Morales,
A., Shedden, A., Rodriguez-Luna, E., de Grammont, P.C. & Cortés-Ortiz, L.
2008. Ateles geoffroyi. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2012.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 28 June 2012.
Special
Topic: Intern Annabel- Antibiotic Classification and Use
Definition
of Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a subgroup of anti-infectives that are
derived from bacterial sources and are used to treat bacterial infections. Other classes of drugs, most notably
the sulfonamides (synthetic antimicrobial agents), may be effective
anti-bacterials. Similarly, some
antibiotics may have secondary uses.
The primary purpose of antibiotics is for treatment or prevention of
bacterial infection.
There are several classification schemes for antibiotics. They can be based on bacterial
spectrum: broad vs. narrow, route of administration: injectable vs. oral vs.
topical, or type of activity: bactericidal (kills
bacteria) vs. bacteriostatic (inhibits
bacteria). The most useful
classification is based on chemical structure. Antibiotics within a structural class will generally show
similar patterns of effectiveness, toxicity, and allergic potential. This chemical structure is used to
determine what type of bacteria the antibiotics will be effective against.
The following table is a summary of the classes of antibiotics and
their properties, including their biological sources.
THE CLASSES OF ANTIBIOTICS AND THEIR PROPERTIES
Side
Effects
All antibiotics cause risk of overgrowth by non-susceptible
bacteria. Each drug carries a
different degree of risk. It is
not recommended that nursing females take antibiotics as it risks alteration of
the infant’s intestinal flora, and also runs the risk of masking infection in
the infant. Excessive or
inappropriate use may promote growth of resistant pathogens.
Recommended
Usage
Antibiotics should only be used in cases where there is
either a known or a reasonable presumption of bacterial infection. Certain bacteria can become resistant
to individual antibiotics if they are overused. A course of antibiotics should always be completed to reduce
the risk of the bacteria becoming strain resistant. Also if a course is not completed the antibiotics may not
work against the infection and may no longer be effective if treatment is
retried.
References
Wikipedia
Antibiotics, Todar, 2000
I am only one, / But still I am one. / I cannot do everything, / But still I can do something; / and because I cannot do everything, / I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
~Edward
Everett Hale, author (1822-1909)
We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s
E-Newsletter. Thank you for your support of our life saving work. Because of
compassionate people, the Sanctuary can continue to provide a place of peace
and happiness for 70 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers,
and tourist attractions. Here they can heal, form social groups, and live
free from exploitation.
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
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