Aotidae night monkeys

By Tanya Dewey

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. They
are characterized by large eyes, flat, rounded faces, and dense, woolly pelage. (Cawthon Lang and
Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991; Wilson and Reeder, 2005)

Geographic Range

Night monkeys are found in southern Central America through South America as far south as
Bolivia, northeastern Argentina, and Paraguay. The genus Aotus is the second most widely
distributed New World monkey genus, with howler monkeys (Alouatta) being more widely
distributed. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)

Biogeographic Regions: neotropical ( native )

Habitat

Night monkeys occur in a wide variety of forested habitats, from tropical lowland forests to cloud
forests and in gallery forests, deciduous and semi-deciduous forests, dry forests, and mangrove
swamps. They are found in primary, secondary, and remnant forests. (Cawthon Lang and
Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)

Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

Other Habitat Features: riparian

Physical Description

Night monkeys are small monkeys, from 455 to 1254 grams in weight and from 240 to 370 mm in
head and body length. The tail is not prehensile and is from 316 to 400 mm. Males and females are
similar in size and appearance. Pelage color and pattern is somewhat similar across species, with
short, dense, woolly fur that is silvery gray dorsally and yellow or buff to orange-brown ventrally.
The face is round and usually marked with 3 dark brown or black lines; one line on either side of
the eyes and one marking the middle of the forehead. They have white or light gray areas of fur
above and below their exceptionally large eyes and on the chin. In some species these markings
are indistinct. Gray-necked species have grayish fur on the sides of their necks, red-necked species
have red fur on the sides of their necks. The ears are short and rounded, sometimes completely
covered by the thick fur. Night monkeys have a sac under their chin that can be inflated during
vocalizations. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Other Physical Features:

endothermic ;

homoiothermic ;

bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism:

sexes alike

Reproduction

Field studies have all reported that night monkey pairs are monogamous, with family groups being
formed around these monogamous pairs. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin,
2004; Nowak, 1991)

Mating System:

monogamous

Most information on mating in night monkeys is from captive populations, although some
information from wild species is available. Gestation lengths have been reported from 122 to 153
days and a single young is born. Birth weight is about 80 grams. Sexual maturity is reached at
about 2 years old. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)

Key Reproductive Features:

iteroparous ;
 seasonal breeding ;

gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate) ;

sexual ;

viviparous

Observations on wild and captive populations indicate that both males and females care for their
young. Night monkeys occur in small family groups made up of a mated pair and their offspring.
(Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Parental Investment:

altricial ;

pre-fertilization ( provisioning ,

protecting : female

);

pre-hatching/birth ( provisioning : female

protecting : female

);

pre-weaning/fledging ( provisioning : female

Lifespan/Longevity
In the wild the oldest known night monkey individual was 13 years old. In captivity they have been
known to live to 20 years old. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Behavior

Night monkeys are primarily active at night, although daytime activity has also been reported.
Aotids are the only nocturnal monkeys in the New World. Night monkeys use day nest sites in tree
hollows, cavities in woody vines, and in accumulations of leaves and sticks. They typically become
active shortly after sunset and return to day nests shortly before sunrise. They travel and feed
throughout the night, with a rest period around midnight. They typically travel rather slowly and
have been described as sluggish. Home ranges tend to be small, from 252 to 829 meters travelled
in a night. Home range sizes tend to be smaller during the dry season and larger in the wet season.
Activity levels are higher during night when there is more moonlight. (Cawthon Lang and
Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)

Night monkeys are social, living in small family groups. Captive individuals kept alone become very
distressed until they are placed with another individual. They are exclusively arboreal and are
capable of remarkable leaps and agility in navigating the forest canopy. Leaps of up to 4 meters
have been reported. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)

Key Behaviors:

arboreal ;

scansorial ;

nocturnal ;

motile ;

sedentary ;

social

Communication and Perception

Night monkeys have very large eyes and use their sense of vision extensively. They have excellent
vision in low light and can see in color. They communicate with vocalizations and with chemical
cues. A captive night monkey was reported to use as many as 50 different kinds of vocalizations.
Calls in the night are described as squeaks, hisses, and barks and the throat sac can be inflated to
add resonance to calls. The alarm call is described as a "wook." They use glands on the throat and
at the base of the tail to mark their surroundings and practice "urine washing," in which they coat
their hands and feet with urine. The scent is then transferred to objects as they move about.
(Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Martin, 2004; Nowak, 1991)

Communication Channels:

visual ;

tactile ;

acoustic ;

chemical

Other Communication Modes:

pheromones ;

scent marks

Perception Channels:

visual ;

tactile ;

acoustic ;

chemical

Food Habits

Night monkeys eat fruit, nuts, leaves, bark, flowers, plant gums, insects, and small vertebrates.
Night monkey species that occur in tropical lowland forests eat a larger proportion of fruit, as fruit
is more consistently available throughout the year. In dry forests, where fruit is seasonally
available, night monkeys eat more leaves. They prefer small, ripe fruits and tend to forage in large
canopy trees. They capture invertebrates, including moths, large orthopterans, beetles, and
spiders, by grabbing them out of the air or chasing them down on tree branches. (Cawthon Lang
and Fernandez-Duque, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Primary Diet:

omnivore

Predation

Little is known about predation on night monkeys. Potential predators include owls, arboreal
snakes, and felids. Diurnal birds of prey may take night monkeys that are not well hidden in
daytime sleeping spots. Their nocturnality and their presence in the high canopy of forests
protects them from many predators. Their coloration also makes them difficult to spot in low light
in the high forest canopy. (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque, 2005)

Anti-predator Adaptations:

cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

Night monkeys may help to disperse the seeds of the trees they forage in.

Ecosystem Impact:

disperses seeds

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Night monkeys are important members of native forest ecosystems in South America. They may
contribute to ecotourism, although their nocturnal and arboreal habits make them difficult to see.
They may also help to disperse seeds through their frugivory. Night monkeys are used as a
research model in the study of malaria because they are naturally resistant to the protozoan
parasites that spread the disease (Plasmodium falciparum). (Cawthon Lang and Fernandez-Duque,
2005)

Positive Impacts:

ecotourism ;

research and education

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known adverse effects of night monkeys on humans.

Conservation Status

Aotus species are includes in CITES Appendix II and are considered "least concern" for extinction
by the IUCN, with the exception of A. lemurinus and A. miconax, which are considered vulnerable.
(International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 2007)

IUCN Red List [Link]

Not Evaluated
Contributors

Tanya Dewey (author), Animal Diversity Web.

Glossary

Neotropical

living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.

World Map

acoustic

uses sound to communicate

altricial
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for
themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked
and helpless after hatching.

arboreal

Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.

bilateral symmetry

having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image
halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and
posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.

chemical

uses smells or other chemicals to communicate

cryptic
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in
its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.

ecotourism

humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural
areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the
appreciation of natural areas or animals.

endothermic

animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of
ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have
arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these
possibilities. Convergent in birds.

forest

forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of
precipitation and seasonality.
iteroparous

offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons
(or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive
over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).

monogamous

Having one mate at a time.

motile

having the capacity to move from one place to another.

native range

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
nocturnal

active during the night

omnivore

an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals

pheromones

chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the
same species

rainforest

rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy
with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation
is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
riparian

Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river
or stream).

scent marks

communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether
others can smell or taste them

scrub forest

scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.

seasonal breeding

breeding is confined to a particular season

sedentary

remains in the same area

sexual

reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a
female

social

associates with others of its species; forms social groups.

tactile

uses touch to communicate

terrestrial

Living on the ground.

tropical

the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees
south.

visual

uses sight to communicate

viviparous

reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the
developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
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