Brown-headed clamp monkey
| Brown-headed clamp monkey | ||||||||||||
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Brown-headed spider monkey ( Ateles fusciceps ) |
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| Ateles fusciceps | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1866 |
The brown-headed spider monkey ( Ateles fusciceps ) is a species of primate from the family of spotted monkeys (Atelidae).
features
Brown-headed spider monkeys , like all spider monkeys, are slender primates with long, thin limbs and a long tail. The head body length is 40 to 55 centimeters, the tail is significantly longer with 60 to 85 centimeters. It is designed as a grasping tail, the underside is hairless at the tip. The average weight of the animals is around nine kilograms, with the males being slightly larger and heavier than the females. The hands are long and hook-shaped, the thumb is missing as an adaptation to the lack of movement. There are two differently colored subspecies: The nominate form A. f. fusciceps has a black-brown fur with a brown head. A. f. rufiventris is completely black in color, sometimes the belly is a little lighter. The eyes are surrounded by bright rings.
distribution and habitat
Brown-headed spider monkeys are common in Central and Northern South America . A. f. fusciceps occurs only in Ecuador west of the Andes . A. f. rufiventris lives in western Colombia and eastern Panama . Their habitat are forests, in addition to deep rainforests they also occur in mountain forests up to 2500 meters above sea level.
Lifestyle and diet
These primates are diurnal tree-dwellers who mostly live in the upper crown area. They are skillful and fast climbers, using their limbs as well as their tail, which can carry the weight of the body on its own. They live in groups of around 20 to 30 animals, which repeatedly split into smaller subgroups during their daily foraging for food. They are herbivores that mainly feed on fruits and leaves.
Reproduction
After a gestation period of around seven to eight months , the female usually gives birth to a single young. This is weaned at around 20 months and is sexually mature at four to five years. Life expectancy is 24 years.
Danger
Brown-headed spider monkeys are among the most threatened primates. The destruction of their habitat and the hunting that is still carried out are responsible for this. In the past 45 years, the total population has declined by over 80 percent. The species is therefore listed by the IUCN as " critically endangered ".
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
Web links
- Ateles fusciceps in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: A. D. Cuarón u. a., 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- Ateles fusciceps at Animal Diversity Web (English)