Owl
Monkeys are the only
nocturnal
New World primates
The arboreal
Owl Monkeys (Genus Aotus) are divided
into two groups based on color
variations, geographic distribution and
karyotypes.
These two groups are commonly known as:
-
the red-necked Owl Monkeys (miconax,
nancymaae, nigriceps and
azarae subspecies) found south
of the Rio Amazonas and
-
the gray-necked Owl Monkeys (lemurinus
and subspecies: hershkovitzi,
trivigatus and vociferans)
found north of the Rio Amazonas.
Owl Monkeys are not
sexually
dimorphic in size, with weights
ranging from one to three pounds
depending on subspecies.
Characteristics of these cute wide-eyed
primates include light yellow fur on
their undersides (stomach, inner legs,
under arms) and crown-like stripes on
their heads (between and on sides of
eyes). Fur thickness in Owl Monkeys is
dependent on their geographical
location, with monkeys occurring at
higher elevations having thicker coats
to keep them warm compared to those
living closer to sea-level with thinner
hair. Probably the most obvious of the
Owl Monkeys physical appearance, are
their huge beautiful brown eyes that are
adapted to suit their visual needs in
the dark.
The range of Night Monkeys is large and species are
distributed through southern Central
America and northern South America
(countries with Aotus species
include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and
Venezuela). Owl Monkeys can be found in
a variety of habitats including:
tropical forests, scrub forests, gallery
forests, and primary and secondary
forests.
Interesting ecology:
Although Owl Monkeys are
known to be nocturnal in
behavior, Azara’s Night
Monkey (Aotus azarae)
has been found to also
demonstrate
cathemeral activity
patterns. This means that
they can be active both in
daytime and nighttime
(Fernandez-Duque, 2003).
This adaptation of a
cathemeral lifestyle may be
an adaptation to the climate
of Argentina and Paraguay
and to avoid having to be
active during the cold
moonless nights.
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Night Monkeys are monogamous primates with
families comprising of a mating pair and
their offspring. Only one baby is born
each year. Unlike most primates, after
the first few weeks of life the primary
caregiver is the male. A night in the
life of an Owl Monkey begins right
before sunset, where family groups (of a
mating pair and their offspring) leave
their nesting sites in search of food.
Their diet is mainly made up of fruit
while other food items including
insects, foliage and flowers supplement
their diets. After feeding for quite
some time the monkeys will take rest
breaks, socialize with their
conspecifics
and get back to foraging and feeding.
After an evening full of the
before-mentioned activities the monkeys
head back to their nesting sites, which
are located in thickets or tree holes,
and occasionally occupied with other
nocturnal animals like bats.
Learn More Here:
What does that mean?
Nocturnal
-
Active at night as opposed to diurnal
(active in the day).
Arboreal
-
Living in the trees.
Karyotype
- Is
the complete set of chromosomes found in
a species
Sexually
dimorphic
-
Is the difference in physical form
between males and females of the same
species.
Cathemeral
-
Is
an animals’ behavior pattern, with
activity both in the day and the night.
Conspecifics
- Animals belonging to the
same species.
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