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Aotidae
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By Tanya Dewey
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Diversity Behavior Economic
Geographic Range Communication Importance for
and Perception Humans:
Habitat
Negative
Physical Food Habits
Conservation
Description Predation
Status
Reproduction Ecosystem Roles
Contributors
Lifespan/Longevity Economic
References
Importance for
Humans:
Positive
Classification
Diversity Kingdom
Animalia
There are eight species of night monkeys, also com- animals
monly called douroucoulis or owl monkeys, found from
Panama to Peru, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina.
Phylum
Douroucoulis are the only nocturnal monkeys in the Chordata
New World. They are small monkeys found exclusively chordates
in forests. They are characterized by large eyes, flat,
rounded faces, and dense, woolly pelage. (Cawthon
Subphylum
Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak,
Vertebrata
1991; Wilson and Reeder, 2005) vertebrates
:
Geographic Range Class
Mammalia
Night monkeys are found in southern Central America mammals
through South America as far south as Bolivia, north-
eastern Argentina, and Paraguay. The genus Aotus is
Order
the second most widely distributed New World monkey Primates
genus, with howler monkeys (Alouatta) being more primates
widely distributed. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-
Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)
Family
Aotidae
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical ( native ) night monkeys
Habitat
Night monkeys occur in a wide variety of forested habi-
tats, from tropical lowland forests to cloud forests and
in gallery forests, deciduous and semi-deciduous
forests, dry forests, and mangrove swamps. They are
found in primary, secondary, and remnant forests.
(Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin,
2004; Nowak, 1991)
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: riparian
Physical Description
Night monkeys are small monkeys, from 455 to 1254
grams in weight and from 240 to 370 mm in head and
body length. The tail is not prehensile and is from 316
to 400 mm. Males and females are similar in size and
appearance. Pelage color and pattern is somewhat simi-
lar across species, with short, dense, woolly fur that is
silvery gray dorsally and yellow or buff to orange-
brown ventrally. The face is round and usually marked
with 3 dark brown or black lines; one line on either side
of the eyes and one marking the middle of the fore-
head. They have white or light gray areas of fur above
and below their exceptionally large eyes and on the
chin. In some species these markings are indistinct.
Gray-necked species have grayish fur on the sides of
their necks, red-necked species have red fur on the
:
sides of their necks. The ears are short and rounded,
sometimes completely covered by the thick fur. Night
monkeys have a sac under their chin that can be in-
flated during vocalizations. (Cawthon Lang and Fernan-
dez-Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic ;
bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Reproduction
Field studies have all reported that night monkey pairs
are monogamous, with family groups being formed
around these monogamous pairs. (Cawthon Lang and
Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)
Mating System: monogamous
Most information on mating in night monkeys is from
captive populations, although some information from
wild species is available. Gestation lengths have been
reported from 122 to 153 days and a single young is
born. Birth weight is about 80 grams. Sexual maturity is
reached at about 2 years old. (Cawthon Lang and Fer-
nandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal
breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes
separate) ; sexual ; viviparous
Observations on wild and captive populations indicate
that both males and females care for their young. Night
monkeys occur in small family groups made up of a
mated pair and their offspring. (Cawthon Lang and Fer-
nandez-Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (
provisioning , protecting : female ) ; pre-hatching/birth (
provisioning : female , protecting : female ) ; pre-
weaning/fledging ( provisioning : female )
Lifespan/Longevity
In the wild the oldest known night monkey individual
:
was 13 years old. In captivity they have been known to
live to 20 years old. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-
Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Behavior
Night monkeys are primarily active at night, although
daytime activity has also been reported. Aotids are the
only nocturnal monkeys in the New World. Night mon-
keys use day nest sites in tree hollows, cavities in
woody vines, and in accumulations of leaves and sticks.
They typically become active shortly after sunset and
return to day nests shortly before sunrise. They travel
and feed throughout the night, with a rest period
around midnight. They typically travel rather slowly
and have been described as sluggish. Home ranges tend
to be small, from 252 to 829 meters travelled in a night.
Home range sizes tend to be smaller during the dry sea-
son and larger in the wet season. Activity levels are
higher during night when there is more moonlight.
(Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin,
2004; Nowak, 1991)
Night monkeys are social, living in small family groups.
Captive individuals kept alone become very distressed
until they are placed with another individual. They are
exclusively arboreal and are capable of remarkable
leaps and agility in navigating the forest canopy. Leaps
of up to 4 meters have been reported. (Cawthon Lang
and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak,
1991)
Key Behaviors: arboreal ; scansorial ; nocturnal ; motile ;
sedentary ; social
Communication and Perception
Night monkeys have very large eyes and use their sense
of vision extensively. They have excellent vision in low
light and can see in color. They communicate with vo-
calizations and with chemical cues. A captive night
monkey was reported to use as many as 50 different
kinds of vocalizations. Calls in the night are described
:
as squeaks, hisses, and barks and the throat sac can be
inflated to add resonance to calls. The alarm call is de-
scribed as a "wook." They use glands on the throat and
at the base of the tail to mark their surroundings and
practice "urine washing," in which they coat their
hands and feet with urine. The scent is then trans-
ferred to objects as they move about. (Cawthon Lang
and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak,
1991)
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ;
chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Food Habits
Night monkeys eat fruit, nuts, leaves, bark, flowers,
plant gums, insects, and small vertebrates. Night mon-
key species that occur in tropical lowland forests eat a
larger proportion of fruit, as fruit is more consistently
available throughout the year. In dry forests, where
fruit is seasonally available, night monkeys eat more
leaves. They prefer small, ripe fruits and tend to forage
in large canopy trees. They capture invertebrates, in-
cluding moths, large orthopterans, beetles, and spiders,
by grabbing them out of the air or chasing them down
on tree branches. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-
Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Primary Diet: omnivore
Predation
Little is known about predation on night monkeys. Po-
tential predators include owls, arboreal snakes, and fe-
lids. Diurnal birds of prey may take night monkeys that
are not well hidden in daytime sleeping spots. Their
nocturnality and their presence in the high canopy of
forests protects them from many predators. Their col-
oration also makes them difficult to spot in low light in
the high forest canopy. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-
Duque, 2005)
:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
Night monkeys may help to disperse the seeds of the
trees they forage in.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Night monkeys are important members of native forest
ecosystems in South America. They may contribute to
ecotourism, although their nocturnal and arboreal
habits make them difficult to see. They may also help to
disperse seeds through their frugivory. Night monkeys
are used as a research model in the study of malaria be-
cause they are naturally resistant to the protozoan par-
asites that spread the disease (Plasmodium falciparum).
(Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005)
Positive Impacts: ecotourism ; research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of night monkeys
on humans.
Conservation Status
Aotus species are includes in CITES Appendix II and are
considered "least concern" for extinction by the IUCN,
with the exception of A. lemurinus and A. miconax, which
are considered vulnerable. (International Union for the
Conservation of Nature, 2007)
IUCN Red List [Link]
Not Evaluated
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (author), Animal Diversity Web.
References
:
Canavez, F., M. Moreira, J. Ladasky, A. Pissinatti, P.
Parham, H. Seuanez. 1999. Molecular Phylogeny of New
World Primates (Platyrrhini) Based on ??2-Microglobu-
lin DNA Sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution,
12: 74-82.
Cawthon Lang, K., E. Fernandez-Duque. 2005. "Primate
Factsheets: Owl monkey (Aotus) Taxonomy, Morphol-
ogy, & Ecology." (On-line). Primate Info Net. Accessed
November 16, 2007 at [Link]
[Link]/factsheets/entry/owl_monkey.
Groves, C. 2001. Primate Taxonomy. Washington, D.C.:
The Smithsonian Institution Press.
Hershkovitz, P. 1977. Living New World Monkeys
(Platyrrhini). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
International Union for the Conservation of Nature,
2007. "2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" (On-
line). Accessed November 16, 2007 at [Link]
[Link]/.
Martin, R. 2004. Night Monkeys (Aotidae). Pp. 135-142
in M Hutchins, D Thoney, M McDade, eds. Grzimek Ani-
mal Life Encyclopedia, Vol. 14. Detroit, Michigan: Thom-
son Gale.
Nowak, R. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World, Volume 1.
Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ray, D., J. Xing, D. Hedges, M. Hall, M. Laborde, B. An-
ders, B. White, N. Stoilova, J. Fowlkes, K. Landry, L.
Chemnick, O. Ryder, M. Batzer. 2005. Alu insertion loci
and platyrrhine primate phylogeny. Molecular Phyloge-
netics and Evolution, 35: 117-126.
Steiper, M., M. Ruvolo. 2003. New World monkey phy-
logeny based on X-linked G6PD DNA sequences. Molecu-
lar Phylogenetics and Evolution, 27: 121-130.
Wilson, D., D. Reeder. 2005. Mammal Species of the World.
:
Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Ac-
cessed November 16, 2007 at [Link]
[Link]/msw/.
To cite this page: Dewey, T. 2007. "Aotidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 09,
2025 at [Link]
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