Coiba howler monkey
| Coiba howler monkey | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Alouatta coibensis | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1902 |
The Coiba howler monkey ( Alouatta coibensis ) is a controversial species of primate from the genus of the howler monkey within the spotted monkey (Atelidae). It only occurs in Panama .
Coiba howler monkeys are similar to the coat howler monkeys , to which they are closely related, but they are smaller than these. They occur on the island of Coiba off the Pacific coast of Panama and on the Azuero peninsula . The subspecies on the island of Coiba ( A. c. Coibensis ) has a darker coat than the subspecies on the mainland ( A. c. Trabeata ), which is brown in color. Like the coat howler monkeys, they have red-gold, fringe-like hair on their flanks.
Little is known about the way of life of these animals, presumably it corresponds to that of the other howler monkeys. As a result, they live in groups of several males and females and feed on leaves and other parts of plants.
Whether the Coiba howler monkey is actually its own species is controversial. Many systematics classify the two subspecies only as subspecies of the coat howler monkey. The IUCN does not recognize the species either. She lists A. c. coibensis as endangered ( vulnerable ), since the island of Coiba covers only 460 km², but is protected. The mainland population A. c. trabeata , on the other hand, is critically endangered due to the destruction of its habitat .
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. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .