Andean night monkey
| Andean night monkey | ||||||||||||
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Andean night monkey ( Aotus miconax ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Aotus miconax | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1927 |
The Andean night monkey ( Aotus miconax ) is a species of primate from the group of night monkeys (Aotidae), within which it is counted to the red throat group .
features
Like all night monkeys, Andean night monkeys are relatively small primates. Their fur is longer than that of other closely related species, it is colored gray-brown on the back and on the outside of the limbs, the belly and the inside of the limbs are reddish-brown. The tail is longer than the body and bushy. The large, brown eyes are surrounded by white fields, along the head are three dark stripes, one outside of each eye and one across the forehead to the nose.
distribution and habitat
Andean night monkeys are found exclusively in the Andean regions in northern and central Peru . Their habitat are forests, mainly cloud forests at 1700 to 2400 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Little is known about the way of life, but it should agree with that of the other night monkeys. They are nocturnal and are mostly in the trees. There they move on all fours and jump away. Outer monkeys live in monogamous family groups of two to five animals and inhabit fixed territories that they defend from other species. The main diet of these animals consists of fruits, besides they also eat leaves and insects. Due to their nocturnal lifestyle, they avoid competition with diurnal, more dominant species.
Danger
The main threat to the Andean night monkeys is the destruction of their relatively small habitat through conversion into agricultural areas and through mining. The IUCN lists the species as "critically endangered" ( endangered ).
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
