Ranging Behaviour of a Group of Black Colobus (Colobus satanas ) in the Douala-Edea Reserve, Cameroon

Data are presented from an 11-month study of the ranging movements of a group of Colobus satanas in a rain forest on the coast of Cameroon. Discussion centers on correlations between seasonal variation in ranging behaviour and seasonal variation in food availability, diet composition and diversity, and weather conditions. The data support the hypothesis that the scarcity of nutrient-rich, highly digestible leaves in this site has led to a feeding strategy based on seeds, which are characterised by high nutritive quality and occurrence in large clumps, allowing monotonous feeding and low expenditure of energy in ranging movements.