Chocoan night monkey
The Panamanian night monkey or Chocoan night monkey (Aotus zonalis ) is a species of night monkey formerly considered a subspecies of the gray-bellied night monkey of the family Aotidae. Its range consists of Panama and the Chocó region of Colombia. There are also unconfirmed reports of its occurrence in Costa Rica, especially on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The species definitely occurs in the Atlantic lowlands of Panama close to the Costa Rica border.
The exact classification of the Panamanian Night Monkey is uncertain. While some authors consider it a subspecies of the gray-bellied night monkey, A. lemurinus, other authors follow a study by Thomas Defler from 2001, which concluded that it is a separate species, A. zonalis.
The Panamanian night monkey is a relatively small monkey, with males weighing approximately 889 grams (31.4 oz) and females weighing about 916 grams (32.3 oz). The fur on the back ranges from grayish brown to reddish brown. The belly is yellow. The hair on the back of the hands and feet is black or dark brown, which is a key distinguishing feature from other northern "gray-necked" Aotus species; also, its hair is shorter. Other distinguishing features relate to its skull, which has a broad braincase, a depressed interorbital region, and large molariform teeth.
Like other night monkeys, the Panamanian night monkey has large eyes, befitting its nocturnal lifestyle. But unlike many nocturnal animal species, its eyes do not have a tapetum lucidum. Also like other night monkeys, it has a short tail relative to the body size.
The Panamanian night monkey is arboreal and nocturnal. It and the other members of the genus Aotus are the only nocturnal monkeys. It is found in several types of forest, including secondary forest and coffee plantations. It lives in small groups of between two and six monkeys, consisting of an adult pair and one infant and several juveniles and/or subadults. Groups are territorial, and groups occupy ranges that overlap only slightly.
Vocal, olfactory and behavioral forms of communication have all been recorded. At least nine vocal calls have been reported, including various types of grunts, screams, squeals, moans and trills. Males develop a scent gland near their tail at the age of about one year that is used for scent marking. Urine washing, in which urine is rubbed on the hands and feet, is also used. Behavioral communication appears to be less important than vocal and olfactory communication, but certain behavioral displays, including arched back displays, stiff legged jumping, urination, defecation and piloerection have been noted.
The Panamanian night monkey generally walks on all four legs, although it is capable of leaping or running when necessary. It eats a variety of foods. In one study, on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, its diet was found to consist of 65% fruits, 30% leaves and 5% insects.
In common with other night monkeys, the Panamanian night monkey is one of the few monogamous monkeys. The monogamous pair generally gives birth to a single infant each year, although twins occasionally occur. The gestation period is about 133 days. The father carries the infant from the time it is one or two days old, passing it to the mother for nursing.
Although viewing monkeys is popular with tourists visiting Panama, the Panamanian night monkey's nocturnal habits make it less often seen than the other Panamanian monkey species. However, with a skilled guide it is possible to observe the Panamanian night monkey.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Panamanian night monkey is a species of night monkey, also known as the owl monkeys. They are relatively small in size. The fur on the back ranges from grayish brown to reddish brown. The belly is yellow. The hair on the back of the hands and feet is black or dark brown. Like other night monkeys, the Panamanian night monkey has large eyes, befitting its nocturnal lifestyle. Also like other night monkeys, it has a short tail relative to the body size.
Panamanian night monkeys are found in Panama and the Chocó region of Colombia. They live in dry forests and in moist forests, including secondary forest and coffee plantations.
Panamanian night monkeys are arboreal and nocturnal creatures. During the day they sleep or just rest in tree holes or in beds made of leaves between the branches. At night they spend most of their time foraging for food and move around on their four legs. They also can leap and run and rarely fall to the ground. These monkeys live in small groups of between two and six individuals. These groups consist of an adult pair and one infant and several juveniles and/or subadults. Groups are territorial, and occupy ranges that overlap with other groups only slightly. Panamanian night monkeys use vocal, olfactory and behavioral forms of communication. There are at least nine vocal calls, including various types of grunts, screams, squeals, moans, and trills. Males develop a scent gland near their tail at the age of about one year that is used for scent marking. They also use urine washing, in which urine is rubbed on the hands and feet. These animals also use certain behavioral displays, including arched back displays, stiff legged jumping, urination, defecation, and piloerection.
Panamanian night monkeys are herbivores, mainly frugivorous. They consume fruits, nectar, flowers and leaves. They may also eat insects.
Panamanian night monkeys are monogamous and pairs mate for life. Females generally give birth to a single infant each year, although twins occasionally occur. The gestation period is about 133 days. The father carries the infant from the time it is one or two days old, passing it to the mother for nursing.
Little is known about Panamanian night monkeys due to their nocturnal lifestyle and that's why it's difficult to study what threats affect their populations. However, it is known that these monkeys may suffer from the deforestation in some parts of their range.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Panamanian night monkey total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List.
Being frugivorous, these night monkeys are important for seed dispersal within their ecosystem.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...