Azara's night monkey

Azara's night monkey[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Family:	Aotidae
Genus:	Aotus
Species:	A. azarae
Binomial name
Aotus azarae (Humboldt, 1811)
Azara's Night Monkey range

Azara's night monkey (Aotus azarae), also known as the southern night monkey, is a night monkey species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Paraguay. The species is nocturnal and monogamous, with the males providing a large amount of parental care. It is named after Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara. The species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Taxonomy

There are three subspecies of Azara's night monkey.^[1]

• Aotus azarae azarae
• Bolivian night monkey, Aotus azarae boliviensis
• Feline night monkey, Aotus azarae infulatus

Physical characteristics

Due to a lack of data body size and weight measurements of Azara's night monkey have been estimated from a small number of wild samples. The average head and body length of the female is 341 mm (13.4 in) while the male is 346 mm (13.6 in), the male weighs from 1,180 to 1,254 g (2.6 to 2.76 lb) and the female, 1,190 to 1,246 g (2.6 to 2.75 lb). Its gestation period is about 133 days. The average lifespan of Azara's night monkey is 20 years.^[3]

Behavior and ecology

Azara's night monkey is a monogamous species, with the male remaining present to raise the offspring and provide food. The offspring will only stay with its family until two to three years of age and then will disperse to begin a family of its own. There is very little sexual dimorphism in this species.^[3]

Azara's night monkey is primarily a frugivore, but also will eat things such as leaves, flowers, and insects. One of the main advantages of being a nocturnal animal is that there is greatly reduced competition from diurnal animals.^[3]

Azara's night monkey spends its life in trees and becomes more active when the moon is brighter, tending to keep to its well-known paths. Azara's night monkey can be found sleeping in groups of between 2 and 5 others in trees. The average group size is about 3 monkeys. It leaps from tree to tree but also moves quadrupedally throughout the forest.^[3]

Habitat and distribution

Azara's night monkey is distributed throughout southern Central America and northern South America. It can be found in Panama, northern Colombia, northwestern Venezuela, northern Peru, southern Brazil, and eastern Ecuador. It is also found in parts of Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. It tends to live in vine forests that are low as well as tall forests with dense canopies. Very little research has been conducted on Azara's night monkey due to the fact that it is nocturnal.^[3]

Conservation

The majority of the Azara's night monkey species is abundant and widespread and has no current extinction threats. However, there are some threats due to high rates of habitat disruption.^[3]

References

External links

• Aotus azarae information at ThePrimata.
• Aotus: The Owl Monkey's Natural History at MD Anderson.