Caquetá Titi
Encyclopedia
The Caquetá titi also known as the Red-Bearded Titi or the Bushy-Bearded Titi, is a species of titi monkey endemic to Colombia
found in the Department of Caquetá
region. Taxonomically, it is a member of the Callicebus cupreus group, following Shunsuke Kobayashi's Callicebus grouping. It was first described by Thomas Defler
, Marta Bueno and Javier Garcia in 2010. It is highly endangered due to habitat fragmentation
and a small population. Its fur is generally brown, with a lighter tail and chestnut-red undersides, neck and cheeks. It is similar in appearance to the ornate titi
and white-tailed titi
except that it does not have a white forehead bar, nor does it have the white hands and feet of the ornate titi. It also has a red beard. It has 22 chromosome
pairs, with a diploid chromosome number of 2n=46.
In the paper describing the species, the authors recommend that the species be classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the authors' estimate, the population size of the species may be fewer than 250 adult animals. It lives in forests fragmented by agricultural activity, and dispersal is hazardous since it must cross open savanna
or barbed wire
in order to reach new nearby forest fragments. The species has a geographic range of just about 100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi) and actually occupies only about 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) within that range.
All 13 groups studied consisted of a single adult male, a single adult female and between one and four immature monkeys. Average group size, including adults and immatures, was 4.1 monkeys. This is consistent with other titi monkey species, which form small, cohesive groups led by a bonded pair of adults. Like other titi monkey species, they are monogamous and pairs raise about one baby each year. Babies make purring noises similar to cats when they are content. Titi monkey diets typically consist primarily of fruit, with leaves the second most important food item, and with seeds forming only a small portion of the diet.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
found in the Department of Caquetá
Department of Caquetá
Caquetá Department is a department of Colombia. Located in the Amazonas region, Caquetá borders with the departments of Cauca and Huila to the west, the department of Meta to the north, the department of Guaviare to the northeast, the department of Vaupés to the east, the departments of Amazonas...
region. Taxonomically, it is a member of the Callicebus cupreus group, following Shunsuke Kobayashi's Callicebus grouping. It was first described by Thomas Defler
Thomas Defler
Thomas R. Defler is a North American primatologist who has lived and worked in Colombia for many years. He earned his PhD from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1976 and then he moved to Colombia...
, Marta Bueno and Javier Garcia in 2010. It is highly endangered due to habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
and a small population. Its fur is generally brown, with a lighter tail and chestnut-red undersides, neck and cheeks. It is similar in appearance to the ornate titi
Ornate Titi
The ornate titi, Callicebus ornatus, is a species of titi, a type of New World monkey, endemic to Colombia.-References:...
and white-tailed titi
White-tailed Titi
The white-tailed titi, Callicebus discolor, is a species of titi, a type of New World monkey, from South America. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.-References:...
except that it does not have a white forehead bar, nor does it have the white hands and feet of the ornate titi. It also has a red beard. It has 22 chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
pairs, with a diploid chromosome number of 2n=46.
In the paper describing the species, the authors recommend that the species be classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the authors' estimate, the population size of the species may be fewer than 250 adult animals. It lives in forests fragmented by agricultural activity, and dispersal is hazardous since it must cross open savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
or barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
in order to reach new nearby forest fragments. The species has a geographic range of just about 100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi) and actually occupies only about 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) within that range.
All 13 groups studied consisted of a single adult male, a single adult female and between one and four immature monkeys. Average group size, including adults and immatures, was 4.1 monkeys. This is consistent with other titi monkey species, which form small, cohesive groups led by a bonded pair of adults. Like other titi monkey species, they are monogamous and pairs raise about one baby each year. Babies make purring noises similar to cats when they are content. Titi monkey diets typically consist primarily of fruit, with leaves the second most important food item, and with seeds forming only a small portion of the diet.