Common woolly monkey

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Common woolly monkey
Lagothrix lagotricha (male).jpg
Common woolly monkey in La Vallée des Singes, France
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Atelidae
Genus: Lagothrix
Species:
L. lagothricha
Binomial name
Lagothrix lagothricha
(Humboldt, 1812)
Subspecies
Brown Woolly Monkey area.png
Range of type subspecies, L. lagothrica lagothrica
Synonyms [2]
  • Lagothrix lagotricha(Humboldt, 1812)
  • Gastrimargus infumatusSpix, 1823
  • Lagothrix caparroLesson, 1840
  • Lagothrix caroarensisLonnberg, 1931
  • Lagothrix geoffroyiPucheran, 1857
  • Lagothrix humboldtiiÉ. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812
  • Macaco barrigoNatterer, 1883

The common woolly monkey, brown woolly monkey, or Humboldt's woolly monkey [3] (Lagothrix lagothricha) is a woolly monkey from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Venezuela. It lives in groups of two to 70 individuals, usually splitting the group into smaller subgroups when active.

Contents

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the common woolly monkey is still debated. Fooden classified it is as one of two species under the genus Lagothrix with four sub-species (L. l. lagotricha, L. l. lugens, L. l. cana, and L. l. poeppgigii. [4] Later, an analysis of craniodental morphology suggested a move of all sub-species to the species level and also led to the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (formerly Lagothrix flavicauda) being moved to a monotypic genus Oreonax. [5] Genetic analyses also identify distinct groups, but different groupings from morphological and molecular data continue to make this a difficult issue that might be addressed with larger data sets. [6] A 2014 study found the genus Lagothrix to comprise only two species: L. lagothrica and L. flavicauda, with L. lagothrica containing five subspecies; the results of this study have been followed by the American Society of Mammalogists and the IUCN Red List. [7] [8] [9]

Many published sources use the specific name lagothricha rather than the etymologically correct lagotricha, since Fooden adopted this spelling when he revised the genus. [4] Von Humboldt used both spellings in his original description of the species.

These five subspecies are known: [9]

Description

A gray woolly monkey in Brazil Brown Woolly Monkey.jpg
A gray woolly monkey in Brazil

Common woolly monkeys are large compared to most other tree-dwelling primates, with a head-body length of 40 to 60 centimetres (1.3 to 2.0 ft), a tail length of 55 to 75 centimetres (22 to 30 in), and a weight of 5.5 to 10.8 kilograms (12 to 24 lb). Contrary to their name, they may also be a shade of grey or black as well as brown, and are darker on the head and underparts. The face is naked of any fur and is typically black. Most male woolly monkeys are larger than the females, also having larger canines. Common woolly monkeys are also diurnal. [10]

Distribution and habitat

The common woolly monkey is present in the upper Amazon basin in South America, ranging from the Rio Tapajos in Brazil, to eastern Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, with scattered populations north to Venezuela. They also used to be found in Bolivia, however it is likely they have been extirpated by hunters. [10] [11]

Diet

Common woolly monkeys are omnivorous, but mainly frugivorous. [12] Their diet consists primarily of fruits containing 1 or 2 large seeds and fruits that are lower in fat and higher in sugar and water. [13] Although they prefer certain fruits such as fruits from the Fabaceae (Legume), Moraceae (fig), Convolvulaceae, and Sapotaceae families, which represent roughly 50% of consumption time, [14] fruit abundance and production influence their diet more than preference. [15] As such, during periods of scarcity, fruit consumption tends to decrease and leaf and insect consumption increases. Females with dependents tend to eat more leaves, most likely because the leaves contain more protein, which helps the female produce more milk, [14] whereas juvenile woolly monkeys have been observed to eat more arthropods than other members of the group. [13]

Foraging behavior

The common woolly monkey exhibits generalist and opportunistic foraging behavior, [15] spending a large amount of time eating and moving in the pursuit of food, covering roughly 2 km per day. [13] They tend to prefer fruit species with a clumped fruit distribution and fruits produced by large trees because these tend to produce a larger crop size and reduce the energy spent traveling between fruit patches. [15] Females with offspring were observed to be more efficient foragers than juveniles and adult males. Inter-group competition during feeding times causes the juveniles to be displaced by the adult males and females with offspring resulting in an increase in feeding on arthropods and leaves. [13]

Habitat and groups

They are found in the rainforest, usually in the canopy of the tallest trees, though they may also be found at shrub layer. [16] In certain seasons it is also common for groups to enter flooded forests, due to a higher concentration of berries.

Social behavior

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
Brown Woolly Monkey Troop Alarm Call
Recorded at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Inter-group interactions

Females drive the relationships that develop between opposite sexes within communities. [17] They do not mingle with other females, whereas males will engage with either sex. Females are possessive of males and may harass others that try to interact with a male. Although they are dominant within their group, females are accepting to outsiders of both genders if there are no offspring-producing females present. [18]

Movement and seed dispersal

Woolly monkeys have been observed using all four legs when walking/running and climbing, and efficiently making use of intermediate branches rather than just terminal branches when climbing. [19] They act as more effective seed dispersers than the morphologically similar spider monkey due to longer seed retention time in the digestive tract and the higher variety of seeds eaten. [20] Another influence on seed dispersal rate may be that insects constitute part of their diet. [21]

Conservation

The common woolly monkey is classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. [1] It occurs both inside and outside of areas that are protected by national park laws. [22]

Threats

Although the common woolly monkey has a much wider range compared to the other species in the genus Lagothrix (the yellow-tailed woolly monkey), [23] it is regarded as vulnerable because of predicted future pressures. [1] Human activity is the biggest threat for this species, particularly the building of new highways through parts of the Amazon and the attendant deforestation and increase in human activity. This leads to displacement and provides new access into the forests, creating the opportunity for more hunting to occur. [24] Hunting is mostly carried out by the indigenous communities of this region of the Amazon. Its large size makes the brown woolly monkey highly susceptible to being hunted by locals. [25] Individuals may also be sold locally as pets. [23] After the mothers are hunted, the babies can be sold for up to approximately $80 USD. [25] Declining populations of woolly monkeys may have wider ecosystem impacts due to their function as seed dispersers and their role as both predator and prey.[ citation needed ]

Conservation projects

Many South American national parks have specific laws that prevent both deforestation and the hunting of animals, whereas some do not forbid hunting. Parks and reserves that fully protect the brown woolly monkey include Sumaco-Napo Galeras National Park, Cayambe-Coca and Cofán-Bermejo Ecological Reserve and Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in Ecuador; Nevado de Huila, Puracé, Cueva de los Guacharos and Picachos Natural National Parks in Colombia; and Majuna-Kichwa and Yaguas Reserved Zone in Peru. Algodón Medio Putumayo and Bajo Putumayo-Yagua in Peru offer partial protection. It has been suggested that the local extirpation of the species in some parts of its former range in Brazil was caused by the lack of hunting laws enforced upon indigenous groups. [24]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolly monkey</span> Genus of New World monkeys

The woolly monkeys are the genus Lagothrix of New World monkeys, usually placed in the family Atelidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atelidae</span> Family of New World monkeys

The Atelidae are one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. It was formerly included in the family Cebidae. Atelids are generally larger monkeys; the family includes the howler, spider, woolly, and woolly spider monkeys. They are found throughout the forested regions of Central and South America, from Mexico to northern Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panamanian white-faced capuchin</span> Species of primate

The Panamanian white-faced capuchin, also known as the Panamanian white-headed capuchin or Central American white-faced capuchin, is a medium-sized New World monkey of the family Cebidae, subfamily Cebinae. Native to the forests of Central America, the white-faced capuchin is important to rainforest ecology for its role in dispersing seeds and pollen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider monkey</span> Genus of mammals belonging to the New World monkeys

Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus Ateles, part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The genus consists of seven species, all of which are under threat; the brown spider monkey is critically endangered. They are also notable for their ability to be easily bred in captivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-fronted capuchin</span> Common name for several monkey species

White-fronted capuchin can refer to any of a number of species of gracile capuchin monkey which used to be considered as the single species Cebus albifrons. White-fronted capuchins are found in seven different countries in South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-backed uakari</span> Species of New World monkey

The golden-backed uakari or black-headed uakari, is a New World primate from the family Pitheciidae. It lives in the Amazon Rainforest, and is found in the countries of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. It has black hair covering its body, except for a reddish abdomen, tail, and upper limbs, and a bald face. It has highly specialised teeth which allow it to eat seeds and fruits with hard shells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bellied spider monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

The white-bellied spider monkey, also known as the white-fronted or long-haired spider monkey, is an endangered species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey. It is found in the north-western Amazon in Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil, ranging as far south as the lower Ucayali River and as far east as the Branco River. In the past, the Peruvian, brown and white-cheeked spider monkeys have been treated as subspecies of A. belzebuth. As presently defined, the white-bellied spider monkey is monotypic. It has a whitish belly and a pale patch on the forehead, which, despite its common name, often is orange-buff, though this might be due to dirt and other stainers. They live in groups of 20 to 40 individuals, splitting into small parties of 1 to 9 when in activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black titi monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

The black titi monkey, is a species of titi, a type of New World monkey, from South America. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. It was described in 1811 as Calicebus lugens. It is sometimes called the widow monkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray woolly monkey</span> Subspecies of New World monkey

The gray woolly monkey or Geoffroy's woolly monkey is a subspecies of the common woolly monkey from South America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. L. l. cana gets its common name, gray woolly monkey, from its thick gray coat. Its hands, feet, face and the inside of the arms are dark in color. The gray woolly monkey has been considered endangered by IUCN since 2008. The subspecies is listed as endangered because it suffered a 50% decrease in population over the past 45 years due to deforestation and hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombian woolly monkey</span> Subspecies of New World monkey

The Colombian woolly monkey is a critically endangered subspecies of the common woolly monkey from Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvery woolly monkey</span> Subspecies of New World monkey

The silvery woolly monkey, also known as Poeppig's woolly monkey or the red woolly monkey, is a subspecies of the common woolly monkey from South America. Named after the German zoologist Eduard Friedrich Poeppig, it is found in Brazil, Ecuador and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peruvian spider monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

The Peruvian spider monkey, also known as the black-faced black spider monkey, is a species of spider monkey that lives in Peru, as well as in Brazil and in Bolivia. At 60 centimetres long, they are relatively large among species of monkey, and their strong, prehensile tails can be up to 1 m (3 ft) long. Unlike many species of monkey, they have only a vestigial thumb, an adaptation which enables them to travel using brachiation. Peruvian spider monkeys live in groups of 20–30 individuals, but these groups are rarely all together simultaneously. The size and dynamics of the resulting subgroups vary with food availability and sociobehavioral activity. They prefer to eat fleshy fruit, but will change their diet in response to scarcity of ripe fruit. Individuals of this species also eat small animals, insects and leaves based on availability. Females separate from the band to give birth, typically in the fall. These females inhabit a group of core areas where resources are abundant in certain seasons. Typically, males exhibit ranging over longer distances than females, with movement of individuals enhancing the fluidity of subgroup size. Peruvian spider monkey are independent at about 10 months, with a lifespan of about 20 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown spider monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-tailed woolly monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

The yellow-tailed woolly monkey is a New World monkey endemic to Peru. It is a rare primate species found only in the Peruvian Andes, in the departments of Amazonas and San Martin, as well as bordering areas of La Libertad, Huánuco, and Loreto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern muriqui</span> Species of New World monkey

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Thomas R. Defler is a North American primatologist who lives and works in Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caquetá titi monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

The Caquetá titi monkey, also known as the red-bearded titi or the bushy-bearded titi, is a species of titi monkey endemic to Colombia found in the Department of Caquetá region. Taxonomically, it is a member of the "Callicebus cupreus group", following Shunsuke Kobayashi's Callicebus grouping. It was first described by Thomas Defler, Marta Bueno and Javier Garcia in 2010. It is highly endangered due to habitat fragmentation and a small population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humboldt's white-fronted capuchin</span> Species of New World monkey

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Stevenson, P.R.; Defler, T.R.; de la Torre, S.; Moscoso, P.; Palacios, E.; Ravetta, A.L.; Vermeer, J.; Link, A.; Urbani, B.; Cornejo, F.M.; Guzmán-Caro, D.C.; Shanee, S.; Mourthé, Í.; Muniz, C.C.; Wallace, R.B. & Rylands, A.B. (2021). "Lagothrix lagotricha". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021. IUCN: e.T160881218A192309103. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T160881218A192309103.en .
  2. ↑ "Oldstyle id: c34625c16245785ce9b441b53e92475a". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands.
  3. ↑ Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 152. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.
  4. 1 2 Fooden, J. (1963). "A revision of the woolly monkey (genus Lagothrix)". Journal of Mammalogy. 44 (2): 213–247. doi:10.2307/1377454. JSTOR   1377454.
  5. ↑ Botero, S.; Steven, P.R.; Di Fiore, A. (2014). "A primer on the phylogeography of Lagothrix lagotricha (sensu Fooden) in northern South America". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 82, Pt B: 511–7. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.05.019. PMID   24905154.
  6. ↑ Groves, C. (2001). Primate taxonomy. Smithsonian series in comparative evolutionary biology. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN   9781560988724.
  7. ↑ "ITIS - Report: Lagothrix". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  8. ↑ Database, Mammal Diversity (2021-11-06), Mammal Diversity Database, doi:10.5281/zenodo.5651212 , retrieved 2021-11-20
  9. 1 2 Ruiz-García, Manuel; Pinedo-Castro, Myreya; Shostell, Joseph Mark (2014-10-01). "How many genera and species of woolly monkeys (Atelidae, Platyrrhine, Primates) are there? The first molecular analysis of Lagothrix flavicauda, an endemic Peruvian primate species". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 79: 179–198. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.05.034. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   24931730.
  10. 1 2 "Common woolly monkey videos, photos and facts - Lagothrix lagotricha". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  11. ↑ Group), Sam Shanee (Neotropical Primate Conservation / IUCN SSC Primate Specialist; Mourthé, Ítalo; Muniz, Camilla Crispim; Moscoso, Paola; Torre, Stella de la; Stevenson, Pablo R.; Link, Andrés; Ravetta, André Luis; Urbani, Bernardo; Guzmán-Caro, Diana Carolina; Groups), Robert B. Wallace (IUCN SSC Specialist Group member-several (2020-03-16). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Lagothrix lagothricha". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  12. ↑ "Primate Factsheets: Woolly monkey (Lagothrix) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology". pin.primate.wisc.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Ange-van Heugten, K.; Timmer, S.; Jansen, W.L.; Verstegen, M.W.A. (2008). "Nutritional and health status of woolly monkeys". International Journal of Primatology. 29: 183–194. doi:10.1007/s10764-008-9233-1. S2CID   25777384.
  14. 1 2 Gonzalez, M.; Clavijo, L.; Betancur, J. & Stevenson, P.R. (2016). "Fruits eaten by woolly monkeys (lagothrix lagothricha) at local and regional scales". Primates. 57 (2): 241–251. doi:10.1007/s10329-016-0524-4. PMID   26910234. S2CID   12239115.
  15. 1 2 3 Stevenson, P (2004). "Fruit choice by woolly monkeys in Tinigua National Park, Colombia". International Journal of Primatology. 25 (2): 367–381. doi:10.1023/b:ijop.0000019157.35464.a0. S2CID   27957296.
  16. ↑ "BBC Nature - Common woolly monkey videos, news and facts". Archived from the original on 2017-03-19. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  17. ↑ Di Fiore, Anthony; Fleischer, Robert C. (2005). "Social Behavior, Reproductive Strategies, and Population Genetic Structure of Lagothrix Poeppigii". International Journal of Primatology. 26 (5): 1137–1173. doi:10.1007/s10764-005-6462-4. S2CID   2205380.
  18. ↑ Nishimura, Akisato (2003). "Reproductive Parameters of Wild Female Lagothrix Lagotricha". International Journal of Primatology. 24 (4): 707–722. doi:10.1023/A:1024681703616. S2CID   24153680.
  19. ↑ Cant, JGH; Youlatos, D; Rose, MD (2001). "Locomotor Behavior of Lagothrix Lagothricha and Ateles Belzebuth in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador: General Patterns and Non-suspensory modes". Journal of Human Evolution. 41 (2): 141–66. doi:10.1006/jhev.2001.0485. PMID   11437524.
  20. ↑ Stevenson, P.; Castellanos, M.; Pizarro, J.; Garavito, M. (2002). "Effect of Seed Dispersal by Three Ateline Monkey Species on Seed Germination at Tinigua National Park, Colombia". International Journal of Primatology. 23 (6): 1187–1204. doi:10.1023/A:1021118618936. S2CID   5560227.
  21. ↑ Stevenson, P. R. (2006). "Activity and Ranging Patterns of Columbian Woolly Monkeys in North-Western Amazonia". Primates. 47 (3): 239–47. doi:10.1007/s10329-005-0172-6. PMID   16505944. S2CID   10831742.
  22. ↑ Stevenson, P. R.; Guzmán, D. C.; Defler, T. R. (2010). "Conservation of Colombian primates: an analysis of published research". Tropical Conservation Science. 3: 45–62. doi: 10.1177/194008291000300105 .
  23. 1 2 Defler, Thomas Richard (2010). Historia natural de los primates colombianos. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología.
  24. 1 2 Part IV: Review of selected species subject to long- standing import suspensions (Report). UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 2016. p. 17.
  25. 1 2 Peres, C. A. (1991). "Humboldt's woolly monkeys decimated by hunting in Amazonia". Oryx. 25 (2): 89–95. doi: 10.1017/S0030605300035122 .

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