Black-headed night monkey
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Black-headed night monkey ( Aotus nigriceps ) |
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| Aotus nigriceps | ||||||||||||
| Dollman , 1909 |
The black-headed night monkey ( Aotus nigriceps ) is a species of primate from the group of night monkeys (Aotidae), within which it is counted to the red throat group .
features
Black-headed night monkeys, like all night monkeys, are relatively small primates with a long, bushy tail. They reach a weight of around 750 grams. Their fur is short and dense, it is colored gray-black on the back and on the outside of the limbs, the belly is reddish-brown. The rounded head has large, brown eyes. They have white spots over each eye, on the cheeks and under the mouth. Three dark stripes run along the head, one outside of each eye and one across the forehead to the nose.
distribution and habitat
Black-headed night monkeys live in the western Amazon basin south of the Amazon . Their distribution area includes eastern Peru , northern Bolivia and western Brazil . Forests are their habitat.
Way of life
Black-headed night monkeys are nocturnal tree dwellers that tend to be in the upper canopy. They usually move on all fours, but they can also jump well. They live in family groups of two to five animals, in which the male and female live monogamous and often stay together for life. Family groups live in fixed territories of around 9 hectares in size, which they vehemently defend against conspecifics.
These primates mainly eat fruit. To a lesser extent, they also eat leaves, flowers and other parts of plants, as well as insects. Due to their nocturnal lifestyle, they avoid competition with diurnal, more dominant species.
After a gestation period of around four to four and a half months, the female usually gives birth to a single young. After the first week of life, the father takes on the main responsibility for the young, he carries it, sleeps with it and only gives it to the mother to suckle. After a few months the young will be weaned. After two to four years it becomes sexually mature and leaves its birth group.
Danger
Black-headed night monkeys have become rare regionally due to the destruction of their habitat, but overall the species is still “not endangered” ( least concern ) according to the IUCN .
The species is no longer kept in Europe, the former owner is Berlin.
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 .