Bolivian gray titi monkeys, also known as white-eared titis, are native to the South American countries of Bolivia and Brazil. They are small, vocal, and social monkeys that live in family groups of 2 to 7 members, usually consisting of a bonded adult pair and their young. These monkeys have a maximum lifespan of about 25 years in captivity, but their lifespan in the wild is unknown. They are primarily frugivorous, with their diet consisting of over 70% fruit. They also eat leaves, seeds, and insects.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Average Weight | 2-2.2 lbs (0.8-1.18 kg) |
Average Height | 11-17 in (31-33 cm) |
Tail Length | 19-20 in (48-51 cm) |
Lifespan | Early 20s; one captive individual reached 24.8 years |
What You'll Learn
Bolivian gray titi monkeys live for over 20 years in captivity
Bolivian gray titi monkeys are native to the South American countries of Bolivia and Brazil. They are known for their vocal and social nature, with males and females looking alike. These monkeys typically weigh around 2.2 pounds and have a total head and body length of about 13 inches, with long, non-prehensile tails.
In the wild, Bolivian gray titi monkeys inhabit humid, tropical forests and swamps in the southern Amazon River basin, staying close to rivers and lakeshores. They are arboreal and rarely descend to the ground, preferring to spend their time in the lower canopy of the forest. They are diurnal, with their daily activities lasting around 11.5 hours, from sunrise to sunset.
Bolivian gray titi monkeys live in small family groups consisting of a monogamous adult pair and their offspring. They are territorial creatures with a strong sense of social bonding within their groups. They reinforce these bonds through grooming and a behaviour called tail twining, where they wrap their tails around each other.
While there is limited information about their lifespan in the wild, it is known that Bolivian gray titi monkeys can live for over 20 years in captivity. In fact, the oldest Bolivian titi in captivity reached the impressive age of 24.8 years. Additionally, other members of the Callicebus genus, such as Callicebus moloch, have been known to live for around 25 years.
In conclusion, the Bolivian gray titi monkey is a long-lived species, with a lifespan of over two decades in human care. While their exact lifespan in the wild is not well documented, their close relatives offer insights into the potential longevity of these fascinating primates.
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They are monogamous and mate for life
Bolivian gray titi monkeys are monogamous and mate for life. They form small, territorial family groups consisting of a monogamous adult pair and several offspring. The adult pair coordinate their daily activities so they can always be physically close to one another, spending very little time apart. When they are separated, they display physical signs of anxiety and distress.
The male and female partners in a pair show a strong preference for grooming and entwining their tails with each other rather than with other members of their group. They are also known to grasp feet, nuzzle, and lip-smack. The male partner will grasp and mount his female partner when approached by another male, to prevent "extramarital" relations.
Captive female titi monkeys give birth approximately one year after selecting a mate. After a gestation period of about 18 weeks, they give birth to a single offspring, though twins are uncommon. Although female Bolivian titi monkeys reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age, the mean age of first birth is 4 years.
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They are vocal and social monkeys
Bolivian gray titi monkeys, also known as white-eared titis, are highly vocal and social monkeys. They are native to the South American countries of Bolivia and Brazil, where they live in small family groups of 2 to 7 members, typically consisting of a bonded adult pair and their young. These monkeys are known for their vocalizations, which are more complex and varied than those of many other neotropical monkey species.
Titi monkeys use a wide variety of vocalizations to communicate with each other and reinforce their social bonds. They produce high-pitched calls, such as squeals, trills, chirps, and grunts, when they are foraging, locating group members, agitated, or encountering a violent situation. They also use low-pitched loud calls, including chirrups, moans, pants, honks, bellows, and screams, to signal to other social groups and ensure spacing between home ranges. These loud territorial calls can be heard up to 1.6 miles (1 kilometer) away.
In addition to vocalizations, Bolivian gray titi monkeys also engage in physical behaviours to reinforce their social bonds. They practice grooming, which is common among primates, to strengthen their social bonds. They also participate in a behaviour called tail twining or tail entwining, where they wrap their tails around each other, similar to how humans hold hands. This behaviour is especially common between bonded adult pairs and helps to foster a sense of comfort and intimacy.
Bolivian gray titi monkeys are highly social within their family groups, with adult pairs coordinating their daily activities to remain physically close to each other. They display anxiety and distress when separated and exhibit strong territorial behaviour towards outsiders. While they share their habitat with other New World monkeys, they generally prefer the company of their own social group and avoid contact with other primates.
Overall, Bolivian gray titi monkeys are highly vocal and social primates that utilize a range of vocalizations and physical behaviours to communicate and strengthen their bonds within their small, tight-knit family groups.
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They are territorial and use vocalisations to reinforce their territory
Bolivian gray titi monkeys are highly territorial. They live in small family groups of two to seven members, typically consisting of a bonded adult pair and their young. They are wary and hesitant about approaching unfamiliar situations and show agitation towards intruding males.
These monkeys use vocalisations to define and reinforce the borders of their territory. Soon after waking each morning, they perform a series of loud calls, moans, grunts, and other vocalisations at the outer boundary of their territory. This is initiated by the male. If a neighbouring group is nearby, the two groups will engage in 'duetting', with the intensity of the vocalisations increasing as the groups get closer to each other.
The loud territorial call of the Bolivian gray titi monkey can be heard up to 1.6 miles away. It is composed of a series of short sequences of noises that sound like "chirrup-pump".
In addition to vocalisations, Bolivian gray titi monkeys also use physical communication to reinforce their territory. If two groups directly confront each other, they may engage in tail-lashing, piloerection, chasing, and further calling.
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They are threatened by deforestation and habitat loss
The Bolivian gray titi monkey, also known as the white-eared titi or the Bolivian titi, is a New World monkey native to the South American countries of Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is a small monkey, weighing between 1.8 and 2.6 pounds, with a head-to-body length of 11-17 inches, and a long, fluffy, non-prehensile tail that adds another 19-20 inches to its compact body.
The main threat to the survival of the Bolivian gray titi monkey is deforestation and habitat loss due to agriculture. While they are found in tropical humid forests, they prefer to live in slightly drier habitats, such as riparian zones and gallery forests near swampy grasslands and open areas. They typically reside in areas of dense vegetation within the thickest part of a forest.
The Bolivian gray titi monkey has a wide range and is adaptable to degraded habitats. They can be found within the city limits of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, one of Bolivia's major cities, and on the borders of rural human establishments. They also have few natural predators. However, deforestation and habitat loss due to agriculture continue to pose a significant threat to their survival.
Conservation efforts are crucial to protecting the Bolivian gray titi monkey. The species is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Conservationists have also proposed the construction of forest corridors to connect fragmented forest habitats, allowing the monkeys to establish new territories and increase their reproductive opportunities.
The survival of the Bolivian gray titi monkey is further safeguarded by protected areas within their range, such as Bolivia's Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve and Amboro National Park. These reserves provide essential protections to help ensure the propagation and survival of this unique primate species.
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Frequently asked questions
The oldest Bolivian gray titi monkey in captivity lived to be 24.8 years old. While there is little information about their lifespan in the wild, other members of the genus Callicebus, such as Callicebus moloch, live to be around 25 years old on average.
The average weight of a Bolivian gray titi monkey is about 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram).
The average head-to-body length of a Bolivian gray titi monkey is around 13 inches (33 centimeters), with a long, fluffy, non-prehensile tail that adds another 19-20 inches (48-51 centimeters) to their length.