Know Your Primate: Callicebus caquetensis

A new species of Titi monkey has been discovered in Columbia:

Picture Source: here

Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Family: Pitheciidae
Subfamily: Callicebinae
Genus: Callicebus
Species: Callicebus caquetensis

From MSNBC:

C. caquetensis has grayish-brown hair, but does not have a white bar on its forehead as many other species of Callicebus do. Its long tail is stippled with grey, and it has a bushy red beard around its cheeks. Unlike most primates, Caquetá titi monkeys (and probably all titi monkeys) form life-long, monogamous relationships, and pairs are often seen sitting on a branch with their tails entwined.

They usually have one baby per year. As a new baby arrives, the parents force the oldest baby to leave to allow them to focus on the newborn (this is based on information collected from closely related species). The families of this species stick together in groups of about four individuals and can be seen in the trees close to some of the main rivers of Caquetá.

This newly discovered species is struggling to survive. It is estimated that less than 250 Caquetá titi monkeys exist a healthy population should be in the thousands. The main reason for this small number is the degradation of the forests in the area, which have been felled for agricultural land. It is very dangerous, and sometimes impossible, for these animals to cross grassy savannah or barbed wire fences to reach other patches of forest.”