Termite soil eating in kirindy sifakas (Madagascar): Proposing a new proximate factor

Termite soil ingestion has been observed in leaf-eating primates and associated with olfactory attraction, mineral supplementation and/or alleviation of gastrointestinal upset Krishnamani and Mahaney, 2000; Voros et al., 2001; De Souza et al., 2002. Geophagy in sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi), specialised folivorous indriids Fleagle, 1999; Carrai et al., 2003 is reported here for the first time. By considering frequency, timing and type of substrate involved in geophagy, a new proximate factor for soil eating is suggested: occasional feeding on termite soil by folivorous primates might be related to the possibility of acquiring, enriching or expanding the pool of cellulose digesting flora in their gut.