ArticlePublisher preview available

Terrestrial Behavior in Titi Monkeys (Callicebus, Cheracebus, and Plecturocebus): Potential Correlates, Patterns, and Differences between Genera

Authors:
João Pedro Souza-Alves at Federal University of Pernambuco
João Pedro Souza-Alves
Ítalo Mourthé at Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá
Ítalo Mourthé
Renato Richard Hilário at Federal University of Amapá
Renato Richard Hilário
Júlio César Bicca-Marques at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
Júlio César Bicca-Marques
Show all 72 authorsHide
Read publisher preview
Download citation
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract and Figures

For arboreal primates, ground use may increase dispersal opportunities, tolerance to habitat change, access to ground-based resources, and resilience to human disturbances, and so has conservation implications. We collated published and unpublished data from 86 studies across 65 localities to assess titi monkey (Callicebinae) terrestriality. We examined whether the frequency of terrestrial activity correlated with study duration (a proxy for sampling effort), rainfall level (a proxy for food availability seasonality), and forest height (a proxy for vertical niche dimension). Terrestrial activity was recorded frequently for Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but rarely for Cheracebus spp. Terrestrial resting, anti-predator behavior, geophagy, and playing frequencies in Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but feeding and moving differed. Callicebus spp. often ate or searched for new leaves terrestrially. Plecturocebus spp. descended primarily to ingest terrestrial invertebrates and soil. Study duration correlated positively and rainfall level negatively with terrestrial activity. Though differences in sampling effort and methods limited comparisons and interpretation, overall, titi monkeys commonly engaged in a variety of terrestrial activities. Terrestrial behavior in Callicebus and Plecturocebus capacities may bolster resistance to habitat fragmentation. However, it is uncertain if the low frequency of terrestriality recorded for Cheracebus spp. is a genus-specific trait associated with a more basal phylogenetic position, or because studies of this genus occurred in pristine habitats. Observations of terrestrial behavior increased with increasing sampling effort and decreasing food availability. Overall, we found a high frequency of terrestrial behavior in titi monkeys, unlike that observed in other pitheciids.
Figures - available from: International Journal of Primatology
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
A preview of this full-text is provided by Springer Nature.
Learn more
Content available from International Journal of Primatology
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
Terrestrial Behavior in Titi Monkeys (Callicebus,
Cheracebus,andPlecturocebus): Potential
Correlates, Patterns, and Differences between Genera
João Pedro Souza-Alves, et al. [full author details at the end of the article]
Received: 22 March 2019 / Accepted: 9 July 2019
#Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019
Abstract
For arboreal primates, ground use may increase dispersal opportunities, tolerance to
habitat change, access to ground-based resources, and resilience to human disturbances,
and so has conservation implications. We collated published and unpublished data from
86 studies across 65 localities to assess titi monkey (Callicebinae) terrestriality. We
examined whether the frequency of terrestrial activity correlated with study duration (a
proxy for sampling effort), rainfall level (a proxy for food availability seasonality), and
forest height (a proxy for vertical niche dimension). Terrestrial activity was recorded
frequently for Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but rarely for Cheracebus spp.
Terrestrial resting, anti-predator behavior, geophagy, and playing frequencies in
Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but feeding and moving differed. Callicebus spp.
often ate or searched for new leaves terrestrially. Plecturocebus spp. descended pri-
marily to ingest terrestrial invertebrates and soil. Study duration correlated positively
and rainfall level negatively with terrestrial activity. Though differences in sampling
effort and methods limited comparisons and interpretation, overall, titi monkeys com-
monly engaged in a variety of terrestrial activities. Terrestrial behavior in Callicebus
and Plecturocebus capacities may bolster resistance to habitat fragmentation. However,
it is uncertain if the low frequency of terrestriality recorded for Cheracebus spp. is a
genus-specific trait associated with a more basal phylogenetic position, or because
studies of this genus occurred in pristine habitats. Observations of terrestrial behavior
increased with increasing sampling effort and decreasing food availability. Overall, we
found a high frequency of terrestrial behavior in titi monkeys, unlike that observed in
other pitheciids.
Keywords Callicebinae .Fruit availability .Ground use .Predation risk .Sampling effort
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-019-00105-x
Handling Editor: Joanna M. Setchell.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-019-
00105-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
International Journal of Primatology (2019) 40:553–572
/Published online: 30 August 2019
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.

Supplementary resource (1)

10764_2019_105_MOESM1_ESM.docx
Data
September 2019
João Pedro Souza-Alves · Ítalo Mourthé · Renato Richard Hilário · Júlio César Bicca-Marques · Adrian A Barnett
... For example, golden-backed uakari (Cacajao melanocephalus ouakary) only foraged on the ground at patches closer to arboreal refuges and further from dense ground-based vegetation, presumably to avoid ambush (Barnett et al., 2012a). Despite the danger of terrestrial predators, arboreal primates use the ground to avoid predation by flying/arboreal predators (Barnett et al., 2012b), to forage (Souza-Alves et al., 2019, to reduce energy expenditure when sleeping (Samson & Hunt, 2012) or foraging (Eppley et al., 2016a), and to avoid intraspecific competition and hostility (Campbell et al., 2005;Williamson et al., 2021). As habitat degradation and climate change continues, arboreal primates might increase using the ground for resource acquisition and thermoregulation needs (Eppley et al., 2022;Souza-Alves et al., 2019), increasing their likelihood that terrestrial predators kill them at higher rates and add pressure to already threatened populations. ...
... Despite the danger of terrestrial predators, arboreal primates use the ground to avoid predation by flying/arboreal predators (Barnett et al., 2012b), to forage (Souza-Alves et al., 2019, to reduce energy expenditure when sleeping (Samson & Hunt, 2012) or foraging (Eppley et al., 2016a), and to avoid intraspecific competition and hostility (Campbell et al., 2005;Williamson et al., 2021). As habitat degradation and climate change continues, arboreal primates might increase using the ground for resource acquisition and thermoregulation needs (Eppley et al., 2022;Souza-Alves et al., 2019), increasing their likelihood that terrestrial predators kill them at higher rates and add pressure to already threatened populations. Understanding how arboreal primate ground use is influenced by their perception of predation risk is therefore important in this changing world. ...
Arboreal Lemur Terrestriality is Influenced by When and Where Predators are Present
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2023
  • INT J PRIMATOL
It is thought arboreal species avoid foraging on the ground due to perceived predation risk, making the study of when and where arboreal species use the ground key in understanding foraging versus safety tradeoffs. We used publicly available, opportunistic, camera-trap observations from surveys across Madagascar to examine whether arboreal lemur ground use was spatially and temporally related to fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox), a native predator, and human presence. We observed 14 species of diurnal lemur (n = 287 individual observations) and six species of nocturnal lemur (n = 105 individual observations). With static two-species occupancy models and kernel density estimation, we found diurnal and nocturnal lemur ground use was spatially and temporally related to fosa presence. Diurnal lemurs used the ground less at camera locations where fosa were present compared to camera locations where they were absent, particularly if those camera locations lacked other native carnivores. Nocturnal lemurs used the ground more at camera locations fosa were observed at within the past 5 days compared with camera locations where fosa were not observed at within the past 5 days. Despite humans and diurnal lemurs being active at the same time 80% of the diel cycle (temporal overlap Δ = 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.75–0.85), diurnal lemur spatial or temporal use of the ground and human presence were unrelated. Diurnal lemur temporal overlap with humans at camera locations where fosa were uncommon was higher (Δ = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.71–0.86) compared with where fosa were common (Δ = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.46–0.66). Future research on how arboreal lemurs navigate ground use in a multipredator landscape should include behavioral observations to better understand animal decision-making.
View
... So far, terrestrial foraging but not terrestrial travelling has been observed in P. oenanthe (DeLuycker, 2007). However, other Plecturocebus species regularly forage and travel on the ground, including travelling between forest fragments (Martıńez and Wallace, 2011;Souza-Alves et al., 2019). Travelling between forest fragments, both above and on the ground, has been reported in different species of howler monkeys, genus Alouatta (e.g (Asensio et al., 2009;Arroyo-Rodrıǵuez and Dias, 2010;Serio-Silva et al., 2019). ...
Characterization of forest fragments occupied by the critically endangered and endemic San Martín titi monkey (Plecturocebus oenanthe)
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2024
This study describes the characteristics of forest fragments occupied by a Critically Endangered endemic Peruvian primate, the San Martín titi monkey, Plecturocebus oenanthe (Pitheciidae; Platyrrhini). We selected 45 fragments; 20 had already been surveyed in 2015 by the Proyecto Mono Tocón (six of these had been further split, resulting in 27 fragments); an additional 18 fragments were randomly selected from satellite images. We surveyed these fragments for the presence of P. oenanthe and determined characteristics of the fragments (size, shape, tree density, canopy height) and of the landscape (distance to nearest fragment and road). We also examined changes in the number of fragments and in forest cover between 2015 and 2019. We encountered P. oenanthe in all surveyed fragments except for the smallest one (0.2 ha). Our findings suggest that P. oenanthe can persist in fragments with a wide range of characteristics, particularly with regard to size and tree density. Unless fragmentation continues and overall forest cover in the area diminishes further, the species may be able to persist even in a fragmented landscape, provided that the matrix allows for movements between fragments. However, persistence might not be long-term if groups are not reproductive, populations become too small, and reduced gene flow results in inbreeding.
View
... Traditional methods of collecting primate locomotor behavior data consist of direct in situ observations, which may influence the frequency and duration of terrestrial behaviors of primates, even those that are accustomed to human presence (e.g., Souza-Alves et al. 89 ). Camera trap surveying is an ideal approach to observe terrestrial behaviors in primates, providing researchers with the means to capture rare behaviors without the risk of disrupting their natural expressions, and should be deployed whenever possible for this purpose. ...
Terrestriality across the primate order: A review and analysis of ground use in primates
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2024
  • EVOL ANTHROPOL
Terrestriality is relatively rare in the predominantly arboreal primate order. How frequently, and when, terrestriality appears in primate evolution, and the factors that influence this behavior, are not well understood. To investigate this, we compiled data describing terrestriality in 515 extant nonhuman primate taxa. We describe the geographic and phylogenetic distribution of terrestriality, including an ancestral state reconstruction estimating the frequency and timing of evolutionary transitions to terrestriality. We review hypotheses concerning the evolution of primate terrestriality and test these using data we collected pertaining to characteristics including body mass and diet, and ecological factors including forest structure, food availability, weather, and predation pressure. Using Bayesian analyses, we find body mass and normalized difference vegetation index are the most reliable predictors of terrestriality. When considering subsets of taxa, we find ecological factors such as forest height and rainfall, and not body mass, are the most reliable predictors of terrestriality for platyrrhines and lemurs.
View
... These encounters sometimes lead to interspecies aggression (Aldrich 2006;DeLuycker 2006DeLuycker , 2007b. Young individuals of these species have been seen playing together for extended periods (DeLuycker 2007b;Souza-Alves et al. 2019). DeLuycker (2007b reported that C. oenanthe would react to alarm calls of the Common Andean Saddle-back Tamarin, retreating to less exposed places, and that it would only enter more exposed or higher risk areas after the tamarins left. ...
Callicebus oenanthe (Primates: Pitheciidae)
Article
  • May 2024
Callicebus oenanthe Thomas, 1924, commonly known as the San Martín Titi Monkey, is endemic to the northern portion of the department of San Martin, in the Alto Mayo and Huallaga river valleys. It lives in family groups, consisting of a monogamous pair and their offspring. It occurs at elevations between 200 and 1,000 m. Callicebus oenanthe feeds primarily on fruit, but includes other foods like leaves, flowers, and invertebrates in its diet. Although locally common, the species is listed as “Critically Endangered” (CR) both by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and under Peruvian legislation.
View
... The group size varies between two and seven individuals; as in other titi monkeys, they usually produce one offspring per year, but a single case of twin birth has been recorded (Santana et al. 2014). Also, Coimbra-Filho's titi monkeys follow an income breeding strategy, where the lactation period coincides with the period of high fruit availability (Souza-Alves et al. 2019a, 2019b. They explore primarily the low-medium forest strata (5-10 m) (Chagas and Ferrari 2010) and use tall and large trees as sleeping sites (Souza-Alves et al. 2011b). ...
Direct links between resource availability and activity budget better reveal ecological patterns of Endangered Coimbra-Filho's titi monkey
Article
  • Oct 2023
  • PRIMATES
Many primatological studies do not assess direct indexes of food availability to make inferences about behavioral strategies. We related the diet and behavior of a group of Callicebus coimbrai in northeastern Brazil to fruit availability indexes and compared this pattern between seasons (direct and indirect assessment of food availability) to assess whether direct and indirect approaches detect similar ecological patterns. We monitored the study group for 33 months (5 days/month) via scan sampling. Monthly availability of fruits and new leaves was recorded in phenological transects. Fruit availability varied across years based on fruit prevalence, and timing and duration of the abundant seasons. We did not find evidence of a time-minimizing strategy, since C. coimbrai did not change its activity levels according to food availability. However, the negative relationship between foraging and fruit availability indicates that C. coimbrai can compensate for the lower fruit availability by increasing the search for alternative food sources. Monthly fruit consumption was positively correlated to fruit availability and negatively related to the consumption of other food items. However, the behavioral and feeding profiles did not vary between seasons and were not related to rainfall levels. Primate studies should directly relate behavioral and feeding profiles to fruit availability indices, thus avoiding using seasons as proxies of food availability.
View
... Throughout the Amazon, they commonly live in seasonally flooded lowland forests, as well as terra firme and highland forests that do not flood. In these forests, they occupy every forest stratum from 3 to 35 m above the ground (Moynihan 1964;Wright 1978;Aquino and Encarnacion 1986;González-Hernández et al. 2020) and can use terrestrial stratum to cross natural and anthropogenic canopy gaps Souza-Alves et al. 2019). ...
Geographic Distribution of Owl Monkeys
Chapter
  • Sep 2023
The owl monkeys, genus Aotus, are among the most widely distributed of all platyrrhine genera. The 13 currently recognized taxa are found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. They range from lowland tropical moist and dry forests to over 3000 m.a.sl. in the cloud forests of the Andes. Owl monkeys appear to be sufficiently flexible to persist in anthropogenically altered habitats and fragmented forest patches. Here we gathered 1,703 owl monkey localities from a wide range of published and unpublished sources, making the most comprehensive database to date. These records were used to map the distributions of all owl monkey taxa based on our current understanding of the genus. Our knowledge is still limited in many areas where records are lacking, and we caution that all species IDs and maps be treated as tentative until the wide-ranging employment of genetic testing is available.
View
... For example, a restoration project initiated between 1994 and 1996 regenerated a forest fragment (23.5 ha) from an area of pasture and croplands in Peru; P. oenanthe was initially absent from the fragment, but, in 2010, a group of P. oenanthe was recorded there and, some years later, a total of 27 individuals were recorded with the density estimated at 35 groups/ km 2 and 124 individuals/km 2 (Allgas et al., 2017). Such results demonstrate the importance of ecological restoration projects for increasing the long-term viability of titi species and illustrate the capacity of titi monkeys to use ground-based access to colonize isolated forest areas (Souza-Alves et al., 2019b). Furthermore, long-term studies that document the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on titi monkeys (Hutchinsonian and Raunkiaeran shortfalls) would enable us to understand how some populations are surviving in these heavily impacted areas. ...
Knowledge shortfalls for titi monkey: A poorly known clade of small-bodied South American primates
Article
  • Sep 2023
  • BIOL CONSERV
Titi monkeys (Callicebus, Cheracebus, and Plecturocebus) comprise the most species-rich group of primates in South America. Thirty-six currently recognized species composing this group inhabit a multitude of habitats across most of South America. While field-based and laboratory research has provided insights into the behavior, ecology, and physiology of some titis, multiple knowledge gaps regarding their biodiversity patterns persist. Here, we provide an overview of titi research and identify their biodiversity knowledge shortfalls. Using online databases, we collated the literature of all titi studies published up to December 31, 2021. We compiled 521 publications, with 48% representing in situ field studies of the monkeys. The majority of field-based publications focused on studies conducted in Brazil and Peru. We found that research efforts have increased in recent decades, as indicated by the increased number of publications on titis. However, given the large number of species and their wide distribution across South America, there is limited information about most of these species and their geographic ranges. By highlighting the focal points where conservation-related data are still required, our findings demonstrate the importance of expanding research efforts and investment on the full extent of titi species and their entire geographic regions; doing so will help fill the knowledge shortfalls rather than solely advancing the study of a restricted range of topics in one or two habitats or countries. These advances will contribute to fill knowledge gaps through the creation/expansion of data repositories, citizen science programs, and increased financial support to maintain long-term data collection.
View
Ground Nesting Behavior of Aotus griseimembra: Rare Terrestrial Evidence in A Strictly Arboreal Species
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
We report a novel observation of ground nesting behavior in a couple of Aotus griseimembra within a successional inter-Andean Forest patch of Colombia. This behavior, previously unrecorded for strictly arboreal primates of the Genus Aotus, challenges conventional understanding. The monkeys exhibited typical species actions but sought refuge on the ground, possibly influenced by habitat alterations. Their visits to the ground sleeping site were monitored and confirmed the vulnerability to predators, competitors in the forest patch. These findings call the attention for further research into the response strategies of neotropical primates to environmental stressors and habitat disturbance.
View
View
View
View
Cacajao ouakary in Brazil and Colombia: patterns, puzzles and predictions
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Jun 2021
The neotropical primate family Pitheciidae consists of four genera Cacajao (uacaris), Callicebus (titis), Chiropotes (bearded sakis) and Pithecia (sakis), whose 40+ species display a range of sizes, social organisations, ecologies and habitats. Few are well known and the future survival of many is threatened, yet pitheciines have been little studied. This book is the first to review the biology of this fascinating and diverse group in full. It includes fossil history, reviews of the biology of each genus and, among others, specific treatments of vocalisations and foraging ecology. These studies are integrated into considerations of current status and future conservation requirements on a country-by-country basis for each species. A state-of-the-art summary of current knowledge, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Titis, Sakis and Uacaris is a collective effort from all the major researchers currently working on these remarkable animals.
View
Diet of the Caquetá Titi (Plecturocebus caquetensis) in a Disturbed Forest Fragment in Caquetá, Colombia
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2018
We report on a year-long study of the diet of a group of the Critically Endangered (CR) Plecturocebus caquetensis living in a 23-ha forest fragment, once part of an extensive, closed-canopy, lowland rainforest. We observed the group for 550 hours during the study. We recorded and identified all items eaten and the time invested in all behaviors by all individuals. The monkeys spent 37.7% of their time foraging and eating from a time budget of 41.5% resting, 16.7% locomotion, and 4.1% social behavior. Based on 12,443 minutes of feeding observations, we estimated a diet that consisted of 21% fruits, 21% seeds, 27% immature leaves, 15% arils, mesocarps and exocarps, 7% flowers, 4% mature leaves, 3% arthropods, and 2% stems and roots. The group ate food items of 159 species of plants from 41 families. The 15 most important plant food species were: Pourouma bicolor (Urticaceae) 8.3% of the diet; Socratea exorrhiza (Arecaceae) 6.7%; Miconia dolichorrhyncha (Melastomataceae) 4.4%; Eschweilera punctata (Lecythidaceae) 3.8%; Cydista sp.(Bignoniaceae) 3.3%; Cecropia sciadophylla (Urticaceae) 3%; Bellucia pentamera (Melastomaceae) 2.7%; Helianthostylis sprucei (Moraceae) 2.7%); Iryanthera crassifolia (Myristicaceae) 2.6%; Virola sebifera (Myristicaceae) 2.6%; Siparuna sp.(Monimiaceae) 2.3%; Siparuna decipiens (Monimiaceae) 2.2%; Soracea muriculata (Moraceae) 2.2%; Heteropsis flexuosa (Araceae) 2.2%; and Inga leiocalycina (Fabaceae) 2%. The ten predominant families were Fabaceae (17 spp.), Melastomataceae (11 spp.), Annonaceae (11 spp.), Moraceae (9 spp.), Araceae (9 spp.), Bignoniaceae (8 spp.), Myristicaceae (8 spp.), Lauraceae (7 spp.), Rubiaceae (6 spp.) and Euphorbiaceae (6 spp.). Arthropods eaten were mostly Arachnida and the species of the orders Hymenoptera …
View
Predation of army ants by Toppin’s titi monkey, Plecturocebus toppini Thomas 1914 (Primates: Pitheciidae), in an urban forest fragment in eastern Acre, Brazil
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2018
  • PRIMATES
The predation of army ants (Eciton rapax) was recorded during an observational study of the feeding behavior of a group of titi monkeys (Plecturocebus toppini) in an urban fragment of forest in Acre, Brazil. During one observed event, the group’s adult female used its tail to retrieve ants, a type of behavior not observed previously in this genus. All incidents of on-forest floor foraging occurred during the dry season, when fruit was least abundant in the forest, while on other occasions, the ants were captured from tree branches and leaves. The observation of predation and ground-level foraging recorded in this study reinforce the adaptive capacity of P. toppini for survival in fragmented forests, and this was also the first record of the predation of army ants by this titi species.
View
Honest error, precaution or alertness advertisement? Reactions to vertebrate pseudopredators in red-nosed cuxiús ( Chiropotes albinasus ) , a high-canopy neotropical primate
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2018
Predation on primates is considered to have far-reaching effects on the foraging and social ecology of a species. Primate species display a variety of responses to predator proximity and attack, ranging from active physical defense and mobbing, to flight and concealment. Warning calls are often given, and potentially threatening animals may be tracked, either actively or with head movements. Such behaviors take time that could be used for other activities. Accordingly, there should be strong selection to respond only to those species that represent a genuine threat. However, primates give defense-based behaviors to non-predator species. We tested the hypotheses that responses to pseudopredators are (i) precautionary calls made by individuals following the Dinner/Life Principle, or (ii) represent the ontogeny of species recognition. Of the species that ellicted a response from the cuxiús, 80% resembled a primate predator; 95% of the encounters that elicited a response from the cuxiús occurred when the distance between the pseudopredator and cuxiús was ≤20 m. In regard to the frequency of responses to pseudopredators, we found no difference between adults and juveniles (47.6% and 52.4%, respectively) and no differences between adult males and adult females (60% and 40% of the responses, respectively). However, reactions to pseudopredators were of shorter duration (x¯ ± standard error (SE): 42.2 ± 15.9 s) than were reactions to actual predator species (x¯ ± SE: 1,024.3 ± 329.1 s). There were only three instances where alarm calls were made to species that did not resemble predators, and 66.7% (N = 2) were made by adult cuxiús and only 33.3% (N = 1) were made by a juvenile cuxiú. Therefore, we found partial support for the Dinner/Life Principle hypothesis, but no support for the ontogeny hypothesis. Examination of such responses to pseudopredators in other primate and non-primate species may help understand the evolution of such behaviors.
View
Calidad estructural y funcional de espacios usados por Alouatta seniculus en fragmentos de bosque seco tropical (Córdoba, Colombia)
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2017
El mono aullador rojo (Alouatta seniculus) es de las pocas especies colombianas de primates que no se encuentra bajo alguna categoría de amenaza. En comparación con otras especies de primates posee una alta plasticidad ecológica, lo que le permite ocupar ambientes más variables en cuanto a tamaño de hábitat y oferta de recursos. Los bosques secos tropicales (BsT) de Colombia han sido fuertemente afectados por la implementación de sistemas ganaderos quedando un porcentaje muy bajo respecto a su distribución original y la mayoría como pequeños fragmentos. Aunque A. seniculus puede ocupar estos fragmentos, se desconoce la proporción de ocupación de estos y qué características estructurales o funcionales determinan esta ocupación. Se analizó si las características estructurales, funcionales y espaciales en dos fragmentos de BsT en la reserva natural “Betancí-Guacamayas” (Departamento de Córdoba, Colombia) explicaban el uso del espacio por parte de A. seniculus. Se encontró que las características estructurales de la vegetación explican principalmente la utilización de los espacios. Se desarrolló un índice de calidad que describe la probabilidad de ocupación de los espacios disponibles en los fragmentos por parte de la especie, teniendo en cuenta el DAP, la cobertura, el diámetro de copa y la altura de fuste.
View
Ecology and behavior of titi monkeys (genus Callicebus )
Chapter
  • Apr 2013
The neotropical primate family Pitheciidae consists of four genera Cacajao (uacaris), Callicebus (titis), Chiropotes (bearded sakis) and Pithecia (sakis), whose 40+ species display a range of sizes, social organisations, ecologies and habitats. Few are well known and the future survival of many is threatened, yet pitheciines have been little studied. This book is the first to review the biology of this fascinating and diverse group in full. It includes fossil history, reviews of the biology of each genus and, among others, specific treatments of vocalisations and foraging ecology. These studies are integrated into considerations of current status and future conservation requirements on a country-by-country basis for each species. A state-of-the-art summary of current knowledge, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Titis, Sakis and Uacaris is a collective effort from all the major researchers currently working on these remarkable animals.
View
On a new species of titi monkey (Primates: Plecturocebus Byrne et al., 2016), from Alta Floresta, southern Amazon, Brazil
Article
  • Mar 2019
The taxonomy of the titi monkeys (Callicebinae) has recently received considerable attention. It is now recognised that this subfamily is composed of three genera with 33 species, seven of them described since 2002. Here, we describe a new species of titi, Plecturocebus, from the municipality of Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil. We adopt an integrative taxonomic approach that includes phylogenomic analyses, pelage characters, and locality records. A reduced representation genome-wide approach was employed to assess phylogenetic relationships among species of the eastern Amazonian clade of the Plecturocebus moloch group. Using existing records, we calculated the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of the new species and estimated future habitat loss for the region based on predictive models. We then evaluated the species' conservation status using the IUCN Red list categories and criteria. The new species presents a unique combination of morphological characters: 1) grey agouti colouration on the crown and dorsal parts; 2) entirely bright red-brown venter; 3) an almost entirely black tail with a pale tip; and 4) light yellow colouration of the hair on the cheeks contrasting with bright red-brown hair on the sides of the face. Our phylogenetic reconstructions based on maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods revealed well-supported species relationships, with the Alta Floresta taxon as sister to P. moloch+P. vieirai. The species EOO is 10,166,653 ha and we predict a total habitat loss of 86% of its original forest habitat under a "business as usual" scenario in the next 24 years, making the newly discovered titi monkey a Critically Endangered species under the IUCN A3c criterion. We give the new titi monkey a specific epithet based on: 1) clear monophyly of this lineage revealed by robust genomic and mitochondrial data; 2) distinct and diagnosable pelage morphology; and 3) a well-defined geographical distribution with clear separation from other closely related taxa. Urgent conservation measures are needed to safeguard the future of this newly discovered and already critically endangered primate.
View
Down from the treetops: red langur (Presbytis rubicunda) terrestrial behavior
Article
  • Jul 2018
  • PRIMATES
Using direct observations and camera traps at eight sites across Indonesian Borneo we show how red langurs (Presbytis rubicunda) are more terrestrial than previously believed, regularly coming to the ground. This unusual behavior has been found at six of the eight sites surveyed. We find that red langurs come to the ground more frequently in disturbed forests, specifically ones which have been impacted by logging, fire, and hunting, though more data are needed to confirm this as a direct correlation. We also found a trend towards decreased ground use with increased elevation of the habitat. When on the ground, red langurs are predominantly engaged in feeding (50% direct observations, 61% camera traps) and traveling (29% direct observations, 13% camera traps). Red langurs are found on the ground throughout the day, at similar times to activity periods of the apex predator, the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi). We suggest that ground use by red langurs could be an adaptation to disturbed forest to exploit additional food sources and to facilitate travel.
View
View