Bearded saki
Encyclopedia
The bearded sakis are five species of New World monkey
s, classified in the genus Chiropotes. They live in the eastern and central Amazon
in South America
, ranging through southern Venezuela
, Guyana
, Suriname
, French Guiana
and northern and central Brazil
. The five species are entirely allopatric, their distributions being separated by major rivers.
Bearded sakis differ from the closely related saki monkey
s of the genus Pithecia by a pronounced beard, a tuft of hair that extends from its jaw, down its throat to the top of its chest, and is strongly pronounced particularly in the males. The tail is long and hairy, and is used for balance and not grasping. Bearded sakis reach from 32 to 51 cm in size and a weigh from 2 to 4 kg.
Like many New World monkeys, bearded sakis are diurnal
and arboreal. They inhabit tropical rainforest
s, usually in the crowns of tree. They move on all four by the branches, spending most of the day searching for food. At the night they sleep clasped to thicker branches, never spending successive nights in the same tree. Bearded sakis live together in groups of approximately 18 to 30 animals. Within the group they communicate with bird-like twitter and high whistles. Sometimes they mingle with other primates such as capuchin
and squirrel monkey
s.
Fruits form the main part of the diet of the bearded sakis, but they also eat nuts, buds, leaves, insects and small vertebrates.
Once a year (usually in early autumn or late summer) the female bears a single offspring after a 5 month gestation. After about three months it begins to explore its environment independently and on it is briefly cured. Bearded sakis reach full maturity at 4 years of age. Their life expectancy is approximately 15 years.
Bearded sakis are highly sensitive to hunting and habitat destruction
. Consequently, three of the four species recognized by IUCN (they do not recognize C. israelita) are considered threatened, ranging from Endangered for C. albinasus and C. utahickae, to Critically Endangered
for C. satanas.
of chiropotes), where it – based on differences in colour of pelage, karyotype
, and molecular analysis – also was recommended treating C. chiropotes and C. utahickae as species separate from C. satanas.
New World monkey
New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Platyrrhini parvorder and the Ceboidea superfamily, which are essentially synonymous since...
s, classified in the genus Chiropotes. They live in the eastern and central Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, ranging through southern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
and northern and central Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The five species are entirely allopatric, their distributions being separated by major rivers.
Bearded sakis differ from the closely related saki monkey
Saki monkey
Sakis, or saki monkeys, are any of several New World monkeys of the genus Pithecia. They are closely related to the bearded sakis of genus Chiropotes.-Range:...
s of the genus Pithecia by a pronounced beard, a tuft of hair that extends from its jaw, down its throat to the top of its chest, and is strongly pronounced particularly in the males. The tail is long and hairy, and is used for balance and not grasping. Bearded sakis reach from 32 to 51 cm in size and a weigh from 2 to 4 kg.
Like many New World monkeys, bearded sakis are diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
and arboreal. They inhabit tropical rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s, usually in the crowns of tree. They move on all four by the branches, spending most of the day searching for food. At the night they sleep clasped to thicker branches, never spending successive nights in the same tree. Bearded sakis live together in groups of approximately 18 to 30 animals. Within the group they communicate with bird-like twitter and high whistles. Sometimes they mingle with other primates such as capuchin
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
and squirrel monkey
Squirrel monkey
The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkeys of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in the canopy layer. Most species have parapatric or allopatric ranges in the Amazon, while S...
s.
Fruits form the main part of the diet of the bearded sakis, but they also eat nuts, buds, leaves, insects and small vertebrates.
Once a year (usually in early autumn or late summer) the female bears a single offspring after a 5 month gestation. After about three months it begins to explore its environment independently and on it is briefly cured. Bearded sakis reach full maturity at 4 years of age. Their life expectancy is approximately 15 years.
Bearded sakis are highly sensitive to hunting and habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
. Consequently, three of the four species recognized by IUCN (they do not recognize C. israelita) are considered threatened, ranging from Endangered for C. albinasus and C. utahickae, to Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
for C. satanas.
Classification
Until recently, only two species were recognized in this genus, but C. israelita was re-validated in 2003 (having long been considered a synonymSynonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
of chiropotes), where it – based on differences in colour of pelage, karyotype
Karyotype
A karyotype is the number and appearance of chromosomes in the nucleus of an eukaryotic cell. The term is also used for the complete set of chromosomes in a species, or an individual organism.p28...
, and molecular analysis – also was recommended treating C. chiropotes and C. utahickae as species separate from C. satanas.
- Genus Chiropotes
- Black Bearded SakiBlack Bearded SakiThe Black bearded saki is a species of bearded saki, a type of New World monkey. This critically endangered species is endemic to the far eastern Amazon in Brazil, it being restricted to a relatively small region from the Tocantins River in Pará east to around the Grajaú River in Maranhão...
, Chiropotes satanas - Red-backed Bearded SakiRed-backed Bearded SakiThe Red-backed bearded saki, Chiropotes chiropotes, is a species of bearded saki, a type of New World monkey, from South America. It is found north of the Amazon River and east of the Branco River in Brazil and the Guianas. It is possible the scientific name C...
, Chiropotes chiropotes - Brown-backed Bearded SakiBrown-backed Bearded SakiThe Brown-backed bearded saki, Chiropotes israelita, is a species of bearded saki, a type of New World monkey. It is endemic to the Amazon in north-western Brazil and southern Venezuela. It is possible the correct scientific name for this species is C...
, Chiropotes israelita - Uta Hick's Bearded SakiUta Hick's Bearded SakiUta Hick's bearded saki, Chiropotes utahicki, is an endangered species of bearded saki, a type of New World monkey. It is endemic to Brazil, where restricted to the Amazon between the Xingu and Tocantins Rivers. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the more easternly C. satanas, but its back...
, Chiropotes utahickae - White-nosed SakiWhite-nosed SakiThe white-nosed saki, Chiropotes albinasus, is an endangered species of bearded saki, a type of New World monkey, endemic to the south-central Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Both its scientific and common name were caused by the authors working from specimens, where the skin on and around the nose...
, Chiropotes albinasus
- Black Bearded Saki