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Night monkeys can be found in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Venezuela. The species that live at higher elevations tend to have thicker fur than the monkeys at sea level.
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.
Night monkeys can be found in various habitats across Central and South America, from the dense rainforests of the Amazon to the cloud forests of the Andes. Their ability to thrive in both lowland tropical forests and high-altitude regions (up to 2,400 meters) makes them highly adaptable.
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.
- Physical Characteristics
- Geographic Range
- Habitat
- Diet
- Behavior and Reproduction
- Night Monkeys and People
- Conservation Status
- Three-Striped Night Monkey (Aotus Trivirgatus):Species Account
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Night monkeys, so named because they are the world's only nocturnal (active at night) monkeys, are medium-sized animals weighing about 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms). They measure about 13.5 inches (34 centimeters), with a tail length of about 14.6 inches (37 centimeters). Forward-facing, large eyes dominate the round face. The large size of the eyes mak...
Night monkeys are found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
Night monkeys inhabit evergreen tropical rainforests and deciduous scrub forests. They also occupy forests along rivers. They prefer dense middle-level canopies and understories with tangled vines that provide cover for sleeping sites. They also like hollows in old trees.
Night monkeys eat mainly fruits, but also consume leaves, flowers, insects, tree frogs, spiders, bats, birds, and eggs. They forage, search for food, at all levels of the forest, from the canopy down to the forest floor.
Night monkeys are arboreal and live in family groups consisting of an adult pair and two or three offspring. During the day, the family sleeps in tree hollows or tangled vines. At night they forage for food throughout the forest levels, sometimes descending to the ground. They are especially active on moonlit nights, when they can see better. Night...
Night monkeys are hunted for their meat and fur by native people. They are sold as pets and used for medical research.
The IUCN lists the Andean night monkey as Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, because of small populations and habitat destruction from deforestation. The gray-bellied night monkey is also classified as Vulnerable due to hunting by humans and collection for the pet trade and medical research.
Physical characteristics:The three-striped night monkey has a woolly, dense fur that varies in coloration from grizzled gray to brown to reddish. Its undersides are orange or yellowish. The ears are small and rounded. Very large eyes are forward-facing and are brown or orange. Large white patches surround the eyes and the mouth, giving the appearan...
Books:
Kavanagh, Michael. A Complete Guide to Monkeys, Apes and Other Primates. New York: The Viking Press, 1983. Kinzey, Warren G., ed. New World Primates: Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1997. Napier, John R., and Prue H. Napier. The Natural History of the Primates.Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1986. Nowak, Ronald M. Walker's Primates of the World. Baltimore: The Johns HopkinsUniversity Press, 1999.
Web sites:
"Aotus trivirgatus(Northern Gray-Necked Owl Monkey)." The Primate Foundation of Panama. http://www.primatesofpanama.org/academicresources/articles/monoculture/atrivirgatus.htm (accessed on July 6, 2004). The Squirrel Monkey Breeding and Research Resource. "AotusNatural History." University of South Alabama Department of Comparative Medicine. http://www.saimiri.usouthal.edu/aotus_natural_history.htm (accessed on July 6, 2004).
Mar 13, 2024 · Azara’s night monkey (Aotus azarae) lives in the Gran Chaco region of South America, according to the New England Primate Conservancy. The Colombian night monkey (Aotus lemurinus) is known by...
Night monkeys are nocturnal New World monkeys that are found in forests across Panama and much of South America. Night monkeys have large eyes which improve their vision at night, while their ears are mostly hidden, giving them their name Aotus, meaning "earless".
