CHANGES IN VEGETATION AT SMALL LANDSCAPE SCALES AND CAPTIVITY ALTER THE GUT MICROBIOTA OF BLACK HOWLER MONKEYS (Alouatta pigra: Atelidae)

The healthy function of the gastrointestinal system is influenced by changes in the microbiota and the adaptability of the host to different habitat conditions and food availability. We isolated and identified 64 bacterial morphospecies from rectal swabs from five captive black howler monkeys (CM) and 15 wild individuals (WM) from groups living in fragments with different compositions and vegetation structures (height, density, canopy width) in flooded and non-flooded areas. Low microbial diversity in CM and WM from the flooded area was observed while in WM from the non-flooded area, there was a higher microbial diversity and evenness. Free-ranging monkeys from different areas showed a significant difference in the replacement of morphospecies of gut microbiota (p = 0.0006); however, the bacterial communities are not differentiated as particular entities. The intestinal microbial community can be an indicator of howler monkeys' health and habitat quality. The change in the composition of the plant community into small landscape scales, as well as fragmentation and natural heterogeneity of the landscape, can affect the intestinal microbial community of howler monkeys.

Automated summary

The health of the gastrointestinal system is affected by changes in the microbiota and the host's adaptability to different habitat conditions. A study on black howler monkeys found that microbial diversity was lower in monkeys from flooded areas compared to non-flooded areas. The composition of the plant community and the fragmentation of the landscape can impact the intestinal microbial community of howler monkeys.