Relationships between food shortages, endoparasite loads and health status of golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

Abstract Both anthropogenic actions and abiotic parameters, such as rainfall, temperature photoperiod, can affect fruit flower availability for animals, which consequently affects nutritional status thus animals’ health. Herein, we investigated whether factors are related to changes in that lead feeding behavior and, consequently, endoparasite load general health two groups of golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) living degraded fragments Atlantic forest Southern Bahia, Brazil. We detected there was a high variation ripe fruits throughout the year, with lower occurring at end spring beginning summer. Despite this, no difference tamarins’ status, body mass blood counts between seasons. This is probably because during native scarcity, eat cultivated species, banana (Musa spp.) jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus). Temperature daylength were negatively correlated tamarin loads. Contrary our expectations, loads not linked scarcity consequent behavior. Nevertheless, found higher parasite diversity group occupied smallest home range. The smaller area available, greater contact parasites animal will have, they forced travel constantly along same routes forest, increasing infection risk re-infection rates. Our results highlight how associated environmental well need constant monitoring ensure effective conservation endangered tamarin.