Decaying Raphia farinifera Palm Trees Provide a Source of Sodium for Wild Chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, Uganda

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dc.contributor.authorReynolds, Vernon
dc.contributor.authorLloyd, Andrew W.
dc.contributor.authorBabweteera, Fred
dc.contributor.authorEnglish, Christopher J.
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-24T10:58:56Z
dc.date.available2022-11-24T10:58:56Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.abstractFor some years, chimpanzees have been observed eating the pith of decaying palm trees of Raphia farinifera in the Budongo Forest, Uganda. The reasons for doing this have until now been unknown. An analysis of the pith for mineral content showed high levels of sodium to be present in the samples. By contrast, lower levels were found in bark of other tree species, and also in leaf and fruit samples eaten by chimpanzees. The differences between the Raphia samples and the non-Raphia samples were highly significant (p,0.001). It is concluded that Raphia provides a rich and possibly essential source of sodium for the Budongo chimpanzees. Comparison of a chewed sample (wadge) of Raphia pith with a sample from the tree showed a clear reduction in sodium content in the chewed sample. Black and white colobus monkeys in Budongo Forest also feed on the pith of Raphia. At present, the survival of Raphia palms in Budongo Forest is threatened by the use of this tree by local tobacco farmers.en_US
dc.identifier.citationReynolds V, Lloyd AW, Babweteera F, English CJ (2009) Decaying Raphia farinifera Palm Trees Provide a Source of Sodium for Wild Chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, Uganda. PLoS ONE 4(7): e6194. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006194en_US
dc.identifier.other10.1371/journal.pone.0006194
dc.identifier.urihttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/5409
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherPloSoneen_US
dc.subjectDecaying Raphia farinifera Palm Treesen_US
dc.subjectSodiumen_US
dc.subjectWild Chimpanzeesen_US
dc.subjectBudongo Foresten_US
dc.subjectUgandaen_US
dc.titleDecaying Raphia farinifera Palm Trees Provide a Source of Sodium for Wild Chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, Ugandaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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