Babirusa SSP Husbandry Manual NUTRITION Kristin Leus, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp Koningin Astridplein 26 2018 Antwerp, Belgium Tel: +32 3 202 45 80, Fax: +32 3 202 45 47 Email:
[email protected] C.A. Morgan, Scottish Agricultural College Animal Biology Division, Bush Estate Penicuik EH26 0PH Scotland, UK Tel: +44 131 535 3230, Fax: +44 131 535 3121 Email:
[email protected] Ellen Dierenfeld, Wildlife Conservation Society Nutrition Department, 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10460 Tel: 718-220-7102, Fax: 718-220-7126 Email:
[email protected] Dr Kristin Leus, Conservation Biologist Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp Koningin Astridplein 26 2018 Antwerp, Belgium Tel. +32 3 202 45 80,Fax. +32 3 202 45 47 Cite Reference: Leus, K., Morgan, C.A. and E.S. Dierenfeld (2001), Nutrition. In: Babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa) Husbandry Manual. M. Fischer, Ed. American Association of Zoos and Aquariums Background Information to the Feeding Ecology Information from the Wild Information on the diet of wild babirusa is largely descriptive and qualitative in nature. A detailed review of all information available from the literature can be found in Leus (1996). The lack of quantitative information does not allow much more to be said than that babirusa appear to show a preference for fruits and seeds but that they also consume a variety of leaves, grasses, fungi, invertebrates and small vertebrates, and garden products. Very few wild food items are mentioned by name in the older literature: leaves of the "waringi" tree (most likely a fig species (Ficus sp.)), "canari" seeds (almond-like seeds of the fruits produced by trees of the genus Canarium) (Valentijn, 1726), Elatostema sp.