ArticlePDF Available

Ground Nesting Behavior of Aotus griseimembra: Rare Terrestrial Evidence in A Strictly Arboreal Species

Authors:

Abstract and Figures

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.
Content may be subject to copyright.
NOTES
Natural History
Mammalogy Notes 2020, 6(2), mn0113; https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433 1/7
Mammalogy Notes ISSN 2382-3704
https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433
Ground Nesting Behavior of Aotus griseimembra: Rare
Terrestrial Evidence in A Strictly Arboreal Species
Julián Arango-Lozano1* Karime Angarita-Corzo2, Jose Julio-Guzmán3, Camilo
Ernesto Angarita-Yanes4, Sebastián O. Montilla5
1 Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 #26-10, 170001, Manizales, Colombia.
2 Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Universidad de Antioquia, Carrera 75 # 65-87, 050034,
Medellín, Colombia.
3 Grupo de investigación en biodiversidad del caribe colombiano, Universidad del Atlántico, UA, 081001, Carrera 30 # 8-49,
Puerto Colombia, Colombia
4 Biólogo, Investigador independiente
5 Laboratorio de Ecología de Bosques Tropicales y Primatología; Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
* Correspondencia: arangolozanoj1@gmail.com
Resumen
Reportamos una observación novedosa del comportamiento de anidación en el suelo en
una pareja de Aotus griseimembra, dentro de un parche sucesional de bosque interandino
en Colombia. Este comportamiento, previamente no registrado para primates
estrictamente arbóreos del género Aotus, desafía la comprensión convencional. Los monos
exhibieron acciones típicas de la especie, pero buscaron refugio en el suelo, posiblemente
influenciados por alteraciones del hábitat. Sus visitas al sitio de descanso en el suelo
fueron monitoreadas y confirmaron la vulnerabilidad a depredadores y competidores en
el parche de bosque. Estos hallazgos destacan la necesidad de nuevas investigaciones
sobre las estrategias de respuesta de los primates neotropicales a los factores estresantes
ambientales y la perturbación del hábitat
Palabras clave: Fragmentación del bosque, Monos nocturnos del Caribe, Primates neotropicales.
Abstract
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.
Keywords: Caribbean Owl monkey, Forest fragmentation, Neotropical primates.
Mammalogy Notes 2020, 6(2), mn0113; https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433 2/7
Neotropical primates are one of the most threatened mammal groups due to their ecology
restricted to forest habitats (Alfaro et al., 2015; Benchimol & Peres 2014; Túnez et al., 2021).
These populations in central and South America are declining as their ideal habitats are
reduced by the expansion of agricultural frontiers, deforestation, pollution, and climate
change (de Almeida et al., 2017; Estrada et al., 2017; Carvalho et al., 2019). In response to
these environmental stressors, Neotropical primates may exhibit behavioural changes in
response to these new challenges (Jung et al., 2015; Morelos-Juárez et al. 2015; Corrêa et al.,
2018). These changes include alterations in foraging strategies, social structures, and
ranging patterns to cope with habitat fragmentation and resource scarcity (Schwitzer et al.,
2011; Estrada et al., 2012; de Almeida et al., 2017; Ramsay et al., 2023). Additionally, shifts in
reproductive behaviors and increased tolerance to human presence show an adaptive
response to habitat disturbance (Tokuda et al. 2018; Mancini et al. 2023). While vulnerability
increases over time due to habitat loss, some resilient species as Sapajus nigritus and
Alouatta guariba clamitans underscore their capacity to persist in human-altered
landscapes (Corrêa et al., 2018; Tokuda et al. 2018).
Terrestrial behavior, recognized as those activities performed by primates on the ground
rather than in trees, has been poorly studied in the Neotropics because most monkey
species are highly associated with the forest canopy (Campbell et al., 2005; Eppley et al.,
2016; Souza-Alvez et al., 2019; Monteza-Moreno et al., 2020; Eppley et al., 2022). However,
some patterns have been detailed, such as: (i) use of stones and sticks on the ground to
open shelled fruits and extract insects in Cebus spp. (Waga et al., 2006), use of waterholes
during dry season (Freese 1978). (ii) Foraging behavior at terrestrial salt licks and
waterholes in Ateles spp. and Alouatta spp. (Campbell 2005; Ferrari 2008; Link et al., 2010,
2011). (iii) Ground vocalizations near highly degraded forests by Aotus spp. (Shanee &
Shanee 2011). And finally, and more generally, (iv) road crossings by various groups of
neotropical primates, that may result in roadkills (Praill et al., 2023). However, no nesting
or sleeping sites on the ground have been recorded before for strictly arboreal primates
of the genus Aotus. Here we report an abnormal sleeping site behavior on the ground by
Aotus griseimembra in the inter-Andean basin of Colombia.
During field trips from April 2 to May 2, 2024, we identified an adult pair of Aotus
griseimembra in the Santa Lucia rural area, vereda La Rochela, Simacota, Santander, within
the inter-Andean basin of the Mid-Magdalena River Basin, Colombia (latitude: 6°44'7.43" N,
longitude: 73°52'14.34" W). These observations occurred in a successional forest patch
surrounded by mixed grasslands and two nearby roadways at an elevation of 100 m.
The first observation occurred on April 4, 2024, at 09:59 h, when we detected the male at
the forest boundaries on the ground, possibly altered by human presence. On April 8, 2024,
at 12:47 h and 16:10 h, we observed the pair heading towards a sleeping site based on a
tree of the species Xilopia aromatica (Annonaceae). The animals were resting and covering
themselves with a mixed structure of sticks, leaves, and leaf litter on the ground, a type of
structure already documented in trees but different from the usual holes or cavities in
trees (Aquino & Encarnación 1986; Case 2013; Helenbrook et al., 2019). Throughout our
observations, we identified the male climbing in and out of the trees and returning to the
sleeping sites (possibly by the researcher’s presence); however, the female remained in
the refuge, a possible territorial display like other neotropical primates (Rutberg 1983;
Mammalogy Notes 2020, 6(2), mn0113; https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433 3/7
Janson, 1986; Spence-Aizenberg et al. 2023; Figure 1; video in Supplementary material,
Arango-Lozano 2024).
FIGURE 1. Detection site of: (a, b, c) the A. griseimembra ground sleeping site at the base of a Xilopia
aromatica tree, and the night monkey couple in the sleeping site. Arrows indicate the sleeping site.
(d and e) records via camera trap of the presence of Leopardus pardalis and Cebus versicolor,
respectively. Video is available in Mendeley data repositorium (Arango-Lozano 2024,
https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/j6tcm29gnw/1).
We conducted a total of nine separate excursions, excluding the initial encounter on April
4th when we set up camera traps to monitor the activity of the individuals at the sleeping
site. These excursions took place on April 5th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, and
May 2nd, between 17:00 and 24:00 hours. It is noteworthy that between April 9th and April
21st, there were no sightings of the pair, either at the sleeping site or on the camera trap
footage. However, on April 22nd at 19:30 hours, the pair was observed in the gallery forest
association, moving through the canopy of trees, but not near the ground sleeping site.
This observation was repeated on April 23rd at 19:15 hours.
Aotus griseimembra is a night monkey species highly associated to forest cover,
categorized as Vulnerable (VU) due to illegal trade, transformation, and degradation of
habitat (Defler, 2003; Mantilla-Meluk & Ortega 2011; Henao-Díaz et al.,2020; Montilla et al.,
2021). This night monkey inhabits from conserved to highly degraded forest patches in the
Caribbean and inter Andean valleys of Colombia and the western slopes of Northern
Venezuela always restricted below 1000 m in elevation (Shanee et al., 2023). Several authors
have called the attention about the A. griseimembra tolerance to inhabiting degraded
patches in Colombia, using the surrounding available resources for feeding and sleeping
site in the canopy trees (Garcés-Restrepo et al., 2016; Montilla et al., 2021, Shanee et al.,
2023). For A. griseimembra, however, this is the first evidence using of roosts other than
tree holes. It is also the first observation of ground-level sleeping sites for night monkeys.
Mammalogy Notes 2020, 6(2), mn0113; https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433 4/7
We are not sure what led this night monkey couple to use a terrestrial sleeping site.
However, with camera traps records and recognized traces we identified the presence of a
pair of Leopardus pardalis and a troop of Cebus versicolor (Figure 1d and 3e). The former
is a potential predator (Miranda et al., 2005; Bianchi & Mendes 2007; de Oliveira et al., 2009),
and the latter is a potential resource competitor (Link et al., 2010; Marsh et al., 2016). This
could indicate that resources such as fruit or leaves for primates are not scarce in the
mixed matrix of grasslands and remnant successional forest. Additionally, the persistence
of this nest may be due to the behavior of the Aotus genus, which is known to maintain
multiple sleeping sites within their home range (Bustamante-Manrique et al., 2021; Montilla
et al., 2021). It is possible that the ground sleeping site served as a previously established
refuge for the night monkey pair, which they continued to visit after the structure collapsed
from the tree due to unknown circumstances.
The proximity to the ground heightens the vulnerability of these primates to predators
such as wild cats, both during the day and night. Additionally, it increases the likelihood of
encounters with domestic cats and dogs, thereby exposing them to zoonotic diseases like
Toxoplasma gondii, as observed in other primates, including those of the Aotus genus
(Gyimesi et al., 2006). Despite this unexpected behavior, the couple exhibited typical
characteristics of their species, displaying heightened responsiveness to stimuli, and
seeking refuge in canopy cover when humans were present (Shanee et al., 2023). However,
due to the rarity of this occurrence, we are motivated to maintain non-invasive surveillance
of the couple using camera traps to gather more comprehensive data. Currently, we are
seeking permission from the owners of private properties surrounding the forest patch
where the encounter took place to monitor the couple's movements and ascertain whether
they are attempting to access other nearby forest remnants.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank Proyecto Troncal Magdalena 1 for the support of field logistics.
REFERENCES
Arango-Lozano J. 2024, “GROUND NESTING BEHAVIOR OF Aotus griseimembra: RARE TERRESTRIAL
EVIDENCE IN A STRICTLY ARBOREAL SPECIES”, Mendeley Data, V1, doi: 10.17632/j6tcm29gnw.1
available at: https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/j6tcm29gnw/1
Alfaro JWL, Cortés-Ortiz L, Di Fiore A, Boubli JP. 2015. Comparative biogeography of Neotropical
primates. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 82:518529.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.09.027
Aquino R, Encarnación F. 1986. Characteristics and use of sleeping sites in Aotus (Cebidae: Primates)
in the Amazon lowlands of Peru. American Journal of Primatology 11(4):319331.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.1350110403
Benchimol M, Peres CA. 2014. Predicting primate local extinctions within realworld forest
fragments: a panneotropical analysis. American Journal of Primatology 76(3):289302.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22233
Bianchi RDC, Mendes SL. 2007. Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) predation on primates in Caratinga
Biological Station, southeast Brazil. American Journal of Primatology: Official Journal of the
American Society of Primatologists 69(10):11731178. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20415
Mammalogy Notes 2020, 6(2), mn0113; https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433 5/7
Bustamante-Manrique S, Botero-Henao N, Castaño JH, Link A. 2021. Activity budget, home range and
diet of the Colombian night monkey (Aotus lemurinus) in peri-urban forest fragments.
Primates 62(3):529536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-021-00895-w
Campbell CJ, Aureli F, Chapman CA, Ramos-Fernández G, Matthews K, Russo SE, Vick L. 2005.
Terrestrial behavior of Ateles spp. International Journal of Primatology 26:10391051.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-005-6457-1
Case L. 2013. Understanding Behavior and Nest Box Usage in Three Species of Owl Monkeys: Azara's
Owl Monkey (Aotus Azarai), Spix's Owl Monkey (A. Vociferans) and Nancy's Owl Monkey (A.
Nancymaae). (Master's Thesis). Retrieved from:
https://digital.library.txst.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/d3202538-e42d-4778-8bd1-
0914ef624dba/content
Carvalho JS, Graham B, Rebelo H, Bocksberger G, Meyer CF, Wich S, Kühl HS. 2019. A global risk
assessment of primates under climate and land use/cover scenarios. Global Change Biology
25(9):31633178. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14671
Corrêa FM, Chaves ÓM, Printes RC, Romanowski HP. 2018. Surviving in the urbanrural interface:
Feeding and ranging behavior of brown howlers (Alouatta guariba clamitans) in an urban
fragment in southern Brazil. American Journal of Primatology 80(6):e22865.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22865
de Almeida-Rocha JM, Peres CA, Oliveira LC. 2017. Primate responses to anthropogenic habitat
disturbance: a pantropical meta-analysis. Biological Conservation 215:3038.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.08.018
Defler TR. 2003. Primates de Colombia Conservación Internacional, serie de guías tropicales de
campo 4. Conservación Internacional, Bogotá DC, 543pp.
de Oliveira Calleia F, Rohe F, Gordo M. 2009. Hunting strategy of the margay (Leopardus wiedii) to
attract the wild pied tamarin (Saguinus bicolor). Neotropical Primates 16(1):3234.
https://doi.org/10.1896/044.016.0107
Eppley TM, Donati G, Ganzhorn JU. 2016. Determinants of terrestrial feeding in an arboreal primate:
The case of the southern bamboo lemur (Hapalemur meridionalis). American Journal of
Physical Anthropology 161(2):328342. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23034
Eppley TM, Hoeks S, Chapman CA, Ganzhorn JU, Hall K, Owen MA, Santini L. 2022. Factors influencing
terrestriality in primates of the Americas and Madagascar. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences 119(42):e2121105119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2121105119
Estrada A, Raboy BE, Oliveira LC. 2012. Agroecosystems and primate conservation in the tropics: a
review. American journal of primatology 74(8):696711. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22033
Estrada A, Garber PA, Rylands AB, Roos C, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A, Li B. 2017. Impending
extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter. Science advances
3(1):e1600946. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1600946
Ferrari SF, Veiga LM, Urbani B. 2008. Geophagy in New World monkeys (Platyrrhini): ecological and
geographic patterns. Folia Primatologica 79(5):402415. https://doi.org/10.1159/000141901
Freese CH. 1978. The behaviour of white faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) at a dry-season
waterhole. Primates 19:275286. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382797
Garcés-Restrepo MF, Quintero Ángel A, Cuéllar N, Giraldo A. 2016. Mammal Diversity in an Area with
Relicts of Dry Forest in the Mid-Magdalena Valley (Caldas, Colombia). Revista de Ciencias
20(2). https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/267165753.pdf
Mammalogy Notes 2020, 6(2), mn0113; https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433 6/7
Gyimesi ZS, Lappin MR, Dubey JP. 2006. Application of assays for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in
a colony of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
37(3):276280. https://doi.org/10.1638/05-018.1
Henao-Díaz F, Stevenson P, Carretero-Pinzón X, Castillo-Ayala C, Pacheco J, Defer T, García Villalba J,
Caro D, Link A, Moreno M, Palacios E, Duque N, Soto-Calderón I, Soto L, Velásquez-Tibata J,
Olaya-Rodríguez M, Noguera-Urbano E, Valencia L. 2020. Atlas de la biodiversidad de
Colombia. Primates. Mejores modelos con el apoyo de expertos. Atlas de la Biodiversidad
de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt,
Bogotá D. C., Colombia. 51 pp.
Helenbrook WD, Wilkinson ML, Suarez JA. 2019. Habitat use, fruit consumption, and population
density of the black-headed night monkey, Aotus nigriceps, in southeastern Peru. Acta
Amazonica 50(1):3743. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392201900172
Janson CH. 1986. The mating system as a determinant of social evolution in capuchinmonkeys
(Cebus). In: Else J, Lee PC (eds) Proceedings of the Xth International Congress of Primatology.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 169179.
Jung L, Mourthe I, Grelle CE, Strier KB, Boubli JP. 2015. Effects of local habitat variation on the
behavioral ecology of two sympatric groups of brown howler monkey (Alouatta clamitans).
PLoS One 10(7):e0129789. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0129789
Link A, De Luna AG, Alfonso F, Giraldo-Beltran P, Ramirez F. 2010. Initial effects of fragmentation on
the density of three neotropical primate species in two lowland forests of Colombia.
Endangered Species Research 13(1):4150. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00312
Link A, De Luna A G, Arango R, Diaz MC. 2011. Geophagy in brown spider monkeys (Ateles hybridus)
in a lowland tropical rainforest in Colombia. Folia primatologica 82(1):2532.
https://doi.org/10.1159/000326056
Marsh C, Link A, King-Bailey G, Donati G. 2016. Effects of fragment and vegetation structure on the
population abundance of Ateles hybridus, Alouatta seniculus and Cebus albifrons in
Magdalena Valley, Colombia. Folia Primatologica 87(1):1730.
https://doi.org/10.1159/000443929
Mancini G, Benítez-López A, Di Marco M, Pacifici M, Rondinini C, Santini L. 2023. Synergistic effects of
habitat fragmentation and hunting on the extinction risk of neotropical primates.
Biodiversity and Conservation 32(8):26552669. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02623-w
Mantilla-Meluk H, Jiménez-Ortega AM. 2011. Revisando el estatus taxonómico y la partición ecológica
de los monos nocturnos del género Aotus en el noroccidente de Colombia, con notas sobre
Aotus zonalis Goldman, 1914. Revista Biodiversidad Neotropical 1(1 Ene-Jun):2837.
https://doi.org/10.18636/bioneotropical.v1i1.26
Miranda J, Bernardi IP, Abreu KC, Passos FC. 2005. Predation on Alouatta guariba clamitans Cabrera
(Primates, Atelidae) by Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus)(Carnivora, Felidae). Revista Brasileira
de Zoologia 22:793795. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-81752005000300043
Monteza-Moreno CM, Crofoot MC, Grote MN, Jansen PA. 2020. Increased terrestriality in a Neotropical
primate living on islands with reduced predation risk. Journal of human evolution 143: 02768.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102768
Montilla SO, Mopán-Chilito AM, Murcia LNS, Triana JDM, Ruiz OMC, Montoya-Cepeda J, Link A. 2021.
Activity patterns, diet and home range of night monkeys (Aotus griseimembra and Aotus
lemurinus) in tropical lowland and mountain forests of central Colombia. International
Journal of Primatology 42:130153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-020-00192-1
Mammalogy Notes 2020, 6(2), mn0113; https://doi.org/10.47603/mano.v10n2.433 7/7
Morelos-Juarez C, Tapia A, Conde G, Peck M. 2015. Diet of the critically endangered spider monkey
(Ateles fusciceps fusciceps) in the Ecuadorian Chocó: Conflict between primates and loggers
over fruiting tree species. PeerJ Preprints 3: e1574V1.
https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1574v1
Praill LC, Eppley TM, Shanee S, Cunneyworth PM, Abra FD, Allgas N, Svensson MS. 2023. Road
Infrastructure and Primate Conservation: Introducing the Global Primate Roadkill Database.
Animals 13(10):1692. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101692
Ramsay MS, Mercado Malabet F, Klass K, Ahmed T, Muzaffar S. 2023. Consequences of Habitat Loss
and Fragmentation for Primate Behavioral Ecology. In Primates in anthropogenic
landscapes: Exploring primate Behavioural flexibility across human contexts (pp. 928).
Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Rutberg AT. 1983. The evolution of monogamy in primates. Journal of Theoretical Biology 104(1):93
112. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(83)90403-4
Shanee S, Shanee N. 2011. Activity budget and behavioural patterns of free-ranging yellow-tailed
woolly monkeys Oreonax flavicauda (Mammalia: Primates), at La Esperanza, northeastern
Peru. Contributions to Zoology 80(4):269277. https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-08004004
Shanee S. 2023. Threats and conservation of owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) in the Andes. In Owl Monkeys:
Biology, Adaptive Radiation, and Behavioral Ecology of the Only Nocturnal Primate in the
Americas (pp. 649-671). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13555-2_22
Schwitzer C, Glatt L, Nekaris KAI, Ganzhorn JU. 2011. Responses of animals to habitat alteration: an
overview focussing on primates. Endangered Species Research 14(1):3138.
Souza-Alves JP, Mourthe I, Hilário RR, Bicca-Marques JC, Rehg J, Gestich CC, … & Barnett AA. 2019.
Terrestrial behavior in titi monkeys (Callicebus, Cheracebus, and Plecturocebus): Potential
correlates, patterns, and differences between genera. International Journal of Primatology
40:553-572.
Spence-Aizenberg A, García de la Chica A, Evans S, Fernandez-Duque E. 2023. Communication in owl
monkeys. In Owl Monkeys: Biology, Adaptive Radiation, and Behavioral Ecology of the Only
Nocturnal Primate in the Americas (pp. 497533). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13555-2_17
Tokuda M, Martins MM, Izar P. 2018. Socio-genetic correlates of unbiased sex dispersal in a
population of black capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus). Acta Ethologica 21,111 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-017-0277-0
Túnez JI, Nardelli M, Ibañez EA, Peralta DM, Byrne MS. 2021. A review of the conservation status of
Neotropical mammals. Molecular Ecology and Conservation Genetics of Neotropical
Mammals 1133. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65606-5_2
Waga IC, AK Dacier, PS Pinha, MCH Tavares 2006. Spontaneous tool use by wild capuchin monkeys
(Cebus libidinosus) in the Cerrado. Folia Primatológica 77:337344.
https://doi.org/10.1159/000093698
Editor: Camilo A. Calderón-Acevedo
Received: 2024-05-16
Reviewed: 2024-05-20
Accepted: 2024-08-10
Published: 2024-10-22
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
Article
Full-text available
Habitat fragmentation and overexploitation of natural resources are the most prevalent and severe threats to biodiversity in tropical forests. Several studies have estimated the effect of these threats on species extinction risk, however the effect resulting from their interaction remains poorly understood. Here, we assess whether and how habitat area, fragmentation, and hunting can synergistically affect the extinction risk of neotropical primates (Platyrrhine). We use a Random Forest model to estimate the Red List extinction risk category of 147 primate species based on their biological traits and the environmental predictors they are exposed to. We find that environmental variables are better predictors of extinction risk than biological traits, and that hunting and fragmentation interact creating synergistic feedback that lead to higher extinction risk than when considered in isolation. We also show that the effect of environmental predictors is mediated by biological traits, with large species being sensitive to habitat area and fragmentation, and frugivorous species more threatened by hunting. Our results increase the understanding of potentially interactive effects between different threats, habitat area and species traits, supporting the idea that multiple threats can reinforce each other and should be thus addressed simultaneously in conservation agendas.
Article
Full-text available
As road infrastructure networks rapidly expand globally, especially in the tropics, previously continuous habitats are being fragmented, resulting in more frequent wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC). Primates are widespread throughout many sub-/tropical countries, and as their habitats are fragmented, they are increasingly at risk of WVC. We created the Global Primate Roadkill Database (GPRD), the largest available standardized database of primate roadkill incidents. We obtained data from published papers, un-published and citizen science databases, anecdotal reports, news reports, and social media posts. Here, we describe the collection methods for the GPRD and present the most up-to-date version of the database in full. For each primate roadkill incident, we recorded the species killed, the exact location, and the year and month the roadkill was observed. At the time of publication, the GPRD includes 2862 individual primate roadkill records from 41 countries. As primates range in more than twice as many countries, the absence of data from these countries is not necessarily indicative of a lack of primate vehicular collisions. Given the value of these data for addressing both local and global research questions, we encourage conservationists and citizen scientists to contribute to the GPRD so that, together, we can better understand the impact road infrastructure has on primates and evaluate measures which may help mitigate risk-prone areas or species.
Article
Full-text available
Among mammals, the order Primates is exceptional in having a high taxonomic richness in which the taxa are arboreal, semiterrestrial, or terrestrial. Although habitual terrestriality is pervasive among the apes and African and Asian monkeys (catarrhines), it is largely absent among monkeys of the Americas (platyrrhines), as well as galagos, lemurs, and lorises (strepsirrhines), which are mostly arboreal. Numerous ecological drivers and species-specific factors are suggested to set the conditions for an evolutionary shift from arboreality to terrestriality, and current environmental conditions may provide analogous scenarios to those transitional periods. Therefore, we investigated predominantly arboreal, diurnal primate genera from the Americas and Madagascar that lack fully terrestrial taxa, to determine whether ecological drivers (habitat canopy cover, predation risk, maximum temperature, precipitation, primate species richness, human population density, and distance to roads) or species-specific traits (body mass, group size, and degree of frugivory) associate with increased terrestriality. We collated 150,961 observation hours across 2,227 months from 47 species at 20 sites in Madagascar and 48 sites in the Americas. Multiple factors were associated with ground use in these otherwise arboreal species, including increased temperature, a decrease in canopy cover, a dietary shift away from frugivory, and larger group size. These factors mostly explain intraspecific differences in terrestriality. As humanity modifies habitats and causes climate change, our results suggest that species already inhabiting hot, sparsely canopied sites, and exhibiting more generalized diets, are more likely to shift toward greater ground use.
Article
Full-text available
Forest fragmentation and deforestation are major threats to primates at a global scale. The survival of primates in forest fragments largely depends on their behavioral and dietary flexibility, as well as their ability to use a modified matrix in anthropogenic landscapes, hence the importance of determining these ecological parameters in habitats with strong anthropic interventions. This paper aims to describe the activity budget and diet of two groups of the Colombian night monkey (Aotus lemurinus) and to estimate their home range in two peri-urban forest fragments in the city of Manizales, Colombia. We combined scan sampling and handheld GPS fixes in order to determine the behavioral, dietary and spatial patterns of the study groups. Night monkeys spent most of their time resting and traveling and were mainly frugivorous relying on at least 26 plant species in their diet. The most consumed plants included Persea americana, Cecropia angustifolia, Musa x paradi-siaca, Cecropia telenitida, and Croton cf. mutisianus. Two of these plants are cultivated species and can provide important resources for populations in small forest fragments. Home range sizes were estimated at 1.7 to 1.8 hectares, using a grid count method. Our results suggest the potential adaptability that these primates have when exposed to anthropogenic habitat disturbances and habitat degradation. Nonetheless, future studies should evaluate the influence of demographic factors and resource availability on the behavioral, dietary and spatial patterns of A. lemurinus in peri-urban forests, in order to further understand their ability to cope with the pervasive processes of habitat fragmentation in the northern Andes.
Article
Full-text available
Most primates live in lowland ecosystems; however, some species have been particularly successful at colonizing higher altitudes, such as night monkeys (genus Aotus). Studies of the ecology of night monkeys in tropical forests are numerous, but behavioral data are limited due to the challenges associated with their nocturnal habits. Although Andean night monkeys (A. lemurinus) live in mountain forests >1000 m.a.s.l. and Caribbean night monkeys (A. griseimembra) live in rainforests <1000 m.a.s.l., they are found at similar tropical latitudes. Between 2018 and 2019, we followed three groups of A. lemurinus and one group of A. griseimembra at three sites in Colombia and recorded data on their ecology and behavior. Although they live at different altitudes, the two species had similar activity patterns and diet, investing approximately half of the night in resting (48%), and feeding primarily on fruits. We found differences among groups in the time invested in feeding on flowers, their home range, and distance traveled per night. These differences may be related to the unique characteristics of each study site and differences in resource availability and floristic composition of forests at different altitudes. Although the most important families in their diet were Moraceae and Urticaceae, highland groups also fed frequently on a large number of Melastomataceae and Rubiaceae trees. This research suggests these two nocturnal primates, living in contrasting environments, use similar strategies to cope with the challenges of being active at night in tropical forests.
Article
Full-text available
An arboreal lifestyle is thought to be central to primate origins, and most extant primate species still live in the trees. Nonetheless, terrestrial locomotion is a widespread adaptation that has arisen repeatedly within the primate lineage. The absence of terrestriality among the New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) is thus notable and raises questions about the ecological pressures that constrain the expansion of platyrrhines into terrestrial niches. Here, we report the results of a natural experiment, comparing patterns of terrestrial behavior in white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator) living on two islands off the Pacific coast of Panama that lack mammalian predators (island sites) with the behavior of capuchins at three sites in central Panama with more intact predator communities (mainland sites). Surveys with camera traps revealed increased terrestriality in island vs. mainland sites. Capuchin detection rates were higher, the range of party sizes observed was larger, and individuals engaged in a wider range of terrestrial behaviors on the islands lacking mammalian predators. Furthermore, females carrying infants were frequently photographed on the ground at the island sites, but never at the mainland sites. These findings support the long-standing hypothesis that predators constrain the exploitation of terrestrial niches by primates. These results are also consistent with the hypothesis that arboreal locomotion imposes costs that primates will avoid by walking on the ground when predation risk is low.
Article
Full-text available
The black-headed night monkey, Aotus nigriceps, has one of the largest distribution ranges of the 11 night monkey species found across Central and South America. Yet, only three studies have focused on their ecology, describing considerable variation in habitat, group composition, and population density. Therefore, we analyzed habitat use, group composition, population density, and diet of 14 groups at two field sites in southeastern Peru. All sampled groups were found in secondary tropical rainforest, often dominated by native bamboo species. Half of the observed sleeping sites were in bamboo stands, though groups also emerged from cane thickets and lianas. This contrasts with other Aotus studies which have found groups living in tree cavities and lianas. Population density estimates for both sites were 19 and 50 individuals per km2, outside the range previously reported for A. nigriceps (31−34 individuals per km2). We recovered seeds of 12 species from fecal samples over the course of two field seasons, belonging mainly to Cecropiaceae, Piperaceae and Moraceae. Our results suggest that the black-headed night monkey in Peru can survive and even thrive in secondary forest, feeding extensively on pioneer species, occupying a range of forest types, all while living near human settlements.
Chapter
The montane forests of the Andes extend from northern Colombia, south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, and include parts of the distributions of Aotus azarae, A. brumbacki, A griseimembra, A. jorgehernandezi, A. nigriceps, A. vociferans, and A. zonalis, with A. lemurinus and A. miconax restricted to elevations >900 and >1400 m.a.s.l, although more research is still needed on the elevational distributions of most of these species. The Andes support relatively high human population densities even in rural areas (avg. 101.6 people/km2). The main threats to owl monkeys and their habitats in the Andes are from farming, human population expansion, mining, and logging. However, protected areas and the genus’ relatively small body size, nocturnal habits, and behavioral plasticity may help owl monkeys survive in the region. Locally managed conservation projects and less damaging agricultural practices, such as shade-grown crops, could prove key to successful conservation efforts for owl monkeys in the Andes.
Chapter
Although studying communication among nocturnal primates is particularly challenging, decades of research provide sufficient evidence to recognize that communication between owl monkey pair mates, among group members, and with individuals outside of the group is based on a variety of visual, tactile, auditory, and olfactory signals. Owl monkeys have evolved specialized morphology to facilitate communication, including a vocal sac and well-developed glandular regions used in scent-marking. Several aspects of communication also show some degree of dimorphism, particularly vocalizations, chemical deposits, and glandular morphology. Communication within the group may facilitate cohesion, coordination, travel, maintenance of the pair-bond, and development of relationships between adults and their young, possibly also mediating dispersal behavior. On the other hand, communication with individuals outside of the group, accomplished through indirect vocal and olfactory signals, or direct signals when visual and/or physical contact with neighboring groups or floaters occur, may aid in mate attraction or home range defense.
Chapter
Primates are a particularly sensitive order to the negative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation due to their unique life histories and habitat requirements. Given that nearly all primate populations are in some way affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, it is important for all primatologists – even those uninterested in these processes directly – to consider the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on the behavior and conservation of their study species. In this chapter, we review some of the current knowledge of the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on primate behavior. We begin by defining key terms and discussing issues of scale. We then review some of the major literature regarding primary and secondary effects of fragmentation, highlighting its potential impact on home range, social interactions, and group composition. Finally, we note that primate responses to habitat fragmentation are species- and sometimes even site-specific and recommend a holistic approach for future research concerning habitat loss and fragmentation.