Learn more about "Folivore"

Folivore

Folivory and flight

The Hoatzin is an example of a flighted, folivorous bird. Some bats are partially folivorous; their method of deriving nourishment from leaves, according to Lowry (1989), is to chew up the leaves, swallowing the sap and spitting out the remainder. Folivory in Bats: An Adaptation Derived from Frugivory by T. H. Kunz and K. A. Ingalls; ''Functional Ecology'', Vol. 8, No. 5 (Oct., 1994), pp. 665-668

Arboreal folivores

Arboreal folivores, such as sloths and some species of monkeys and lemurs, tend to be large and climb cautiously. Cautious climbing and folivory: a model of hominoid differentation E. E. Sarmiento1 in ''Human Evolution'' Volume 10, Number 4, August, 1995Similarities in body shape and head- and tooth-structure between early hominoids and various families of arboreal folivores have been advanced as evidence that early homonoids were also folivorous.

Primates

Standard ecological theory predicts relatively large Group size measures|group sizes for folivorous primates, as large groups offer better collective defense against predators and they face little competition for food among each other. It has been observed that these animals nevertheless frequently live in small groups. Explanations offered for this apparent paradox include social factors such as increased incidence of Infanticide (zoology)|infanticide in large groups. Competition and group size in Thomas's langurs (Presbytis thomasi): the folivore paradox revisited R. Steenbeek and Carel P. van Schaik: ''Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology'' Volume 49, Numbers 2-3 / January, 2001; Print ISSN: 0340-5443; Online ISSN 1432-0762 Folivorous primates are relatively rare in the New World, the primary exception being howler monkeys. One explanation that has been offered is that fruiting and leafing occur simultaneously among New World plants. However a 2001 study found no evidence for simultaneous fruiting and leafing at most sites, apparently disproving this hypothesis. <Can phenology explain the scarcity of folivory in New World primates? Heymann EW. in the ''American Journal of Primatology''; November 2001

Examples

Examples of '''folivorous''' animals include:
- Mammals: okapis, sloths, possums, koalas and various species of monkey and ape, and hippopotamus.
- Birds: The Hoatzin of the Amazon region and the Kakapo of New Zealand
- Reptiles: Iguanas http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/rand.html
- Insects: various kinds of caterpillars, sawflies, beetles, and Orthoptera

References

External links

- wordquests.info Category:Herbivory

Related Images

- A Hoatzin
- An okapi

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