Abstract: Through quadrat investigation and feces micro-histological analysis, this paper studied the food composition of Rhinopithecus roxellana in Qianjiaping of Shennongjia Nature Reserve in winter and spring,and analyzed the nutritional components of main food plants, aimed to approach the main factors affecting the foraging of R. roxellana in the two seasons. In winter, the food composition of R. roxellana had positive correlation with the crude ash content of food plants (r=0.709, P=0.015), but no correlations with the relative abundance (r=0.543,P=0.084), crude protein content (r=0.036, P=0.916), crude fiber content (r=0.458, P=0.156), ether extract content (r=0.445, P=0.170), water content (r=-0.099, P=0.771), and nitrogen-free extract content (r=-0.522, P=0.100) of the plants. In spring, the food composition had positive correlation with food plants relative abundance (r=0.721, P=0.000), but no correlation with their water content (r=0.114, P=0.507), ether extract content (r=0.151, P=0.380), nitrogen-free extract content (r=0.084, P=0.625), crude protein content (r=-0.275, P=0.105), crude fiber content (r=-0.010, P=0.956), and crude ash content (r=-0.178, P=0.299). Principal component analysis indicated that the main factors affecting R. roxellana foraging in winter were crude fiber (0.992), ether extract (0.944), crude protein (0.905), and food abundance (0.885), whereas those in spring were crude protein (0.946), nitrogen-free extract (0.939), water content (0.920), and food abundance (0.898).

Key words: Monopterus albus, Ecological factors, Oosperm, Hatching rate