Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Aotus lemurinus populations have suffered due to collection for biomedical research and some hunting.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: appendix ii
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: vulnerable
Aotus lemurinus is commonly used in biomedical research.
Aotus lemurinus feeds at night, where they typically feed in the canopy. Their diet is broad, including fruit, flower nectar, foliage, and insects. These monkeys have also been known to feed on small birds and mammals.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; insects
Plant Foods: leaves; fruit; nectar
Primary Diet: omnivore
Aotus lemurinus , commonly known as the owl monkey or night monkey, is found in Central and South America. They occur from Panama to northeastern Argentina, and from Peru and Equador to Guyana and Brazil.
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
Owl monkeys occupy a variety of habitats. They are found from moist rainforest to dry scrub. Aotus lemurinus is most common in dense forest, where many vines are present. They can be found in all levels of the forest but are rarely found on the ground.
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 33.8 (high) years.
Aotus lemurinus can be recognized by its small rounded head and owl-like face. Their brown eyes are large and round. Their thick white eyebrows lie below three black stripes on their head. A large black spot is found between their eyes. The eyeshine from these nocturnal monkeys is a bright reddish orange. Fur is dense and wooly and is usually grey in color. The color of the underparts of the monkey ranges from a pale yellow to a bright orange. Their tail is non-prehensile and mostly black, but may have brown or dark orange coloring on it. The tail always has a black tip. Their fingers are long and slender, with expanded pads on the tips. This monkey exhibits no sexual dimorphism. Weight ranges from 0.5 to 1.3 kg.
Range mass: 0.5 to 1.3 kg.
Average mass: 0.0009 kg.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Aotus lemurinus is a monogamous mammal.
Mating System: monogamous
Aotus lemurinus reaches sexual maturity at approximately 2.5 years of age. Females have an ovarian cycle which ranges from 13 to 19 days. There is no external indication of estrous. Males initiate reproduction. Reciprocal grooming has been observed in this species only prior to mating. Gestation period is 133 days. Females give birth to single young or sometimes twins.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average gestation period: 133 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2.5 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2.5 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Average birth mass: 98 g.
Average gestation period: 135 days.
Average number of offspring: 1.
The male and female both care for the young.
Parental Investment: precocial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female)
