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A primary distinction between red-necked and gray-necked night monkeys is spatial distribution. Gray-necked night monkeys (Aotus lemurinus group) are found north of the Amazon River, while the red-necked group (Aotus azare group) are localized south of the Amazon River. [11]
Night monkeys (Aotus), also known as owl monkeys, are New World primates found across Central and South America, ranging from Panama to northern Argentina. Belonging to the family Aotidae, they are characterized by their nocturnal lifestyle and distinctive owl-like appearance.
First described in 1823 by German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, Spix’s night monkey (Aotus vociferans)—also known as the Colombian gray night monkey, noisy night monkey, or Spix’s owl monkey—is found north of the Amazon River in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its range is limited by geographical barriers: the…
Northern night monkeys—also known as northern owl monkeys, three-striped night monkeys, or douroucoulis—are found north of the Amazon River, primarily between southern Venezuela and north-central Brazil.
Diversity. There are eight species of night monkeys, also commonly called douroucoulis or owl monkeys, found from Panama to Peru, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina. Douroucoulis are the only nocturnal monkeys in the New World. They are small monkeys found exclusively in forests.
Aotus trivirgatus is the only nocturnal primate of the neotropics [See comments below]. They have the largest olfactory bulbs and accessory olfactory bulbs of all the New World monkeys presumably due to their reliance on smell during nocturnal activity. They also have large brown/orange eyes.
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Night monkeys within the Aotidae family represent a unique branch of New World monkeys known for their distinctive nocturnal habits. This divergence from the primarily diurnal lifestyle of other New World monkeys underscores the ecological diversity and adaptability within primate evolution.
