Seasonal Changes in the Techniques Employed by Wild Chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania, to Feed on Termites (Pseudacanthotermes spiniger)

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Abstract
During a short period, wild chimpanzees of group K in the Mahale Mountains employ a set of several techniques, including tool use, to feed on 1 sp. of termite (P. spiniger). They appear to use each technique appropriately according to phenological changes in the prey insect''s activities. The chimpanzees also ingest small pieces of soil from the tower of P. spiniger''s mound throughout the year. Geophagy presumably makes them visually and tactually aware of the phenological changes of the termite''s reproductive cycle. Analyses of fecal samples from the chimpanzees indicate interannual fluctuations in the amount of termites ingested. The chimpanzees of group B, ranging to the north of group K, utilize a fishing technique to obtain another type of termite (Macrotermes ?herus) on a large scale during the 1st half of the wet season. Fecal analysis data show that chimpanzees of group B consume far more termites than those of group K. The probability that the same or similar tool-using techniques as fishing may be employed feeding on different types of insects by chimpanzees of different unit groups according to subtle local differences in the insect fauna of their home ranges is discussed.

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