Origin
Titi monkeys belong to the new world, being native to Central and Southern America. Unfortunately, many of the specimens of this species have disappeared, so when they were recently discovered, the joy of the researchers was very great.
In 2008, the team of researchers-explorers from the National University of Colombia, consisting of Thomas Defler, Marta Bueno and student Javier Garcia, finally managed to reach the southern part of Colombia, affected by the war, where they identified a new group of 13 Titi monkeys.
They were named Titi Caqueta, in honor of the province of Caqueta, where they were discovered.
The discovery is, however, a pleasant and painful one at the same time, because it is suspected that there is only one nucleus of 250 specimens, and this one in danger of extinction. Which is why the discoverers and Conservation International have requested that the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) confer on the Callicebus caquetensis titi monkeys the status of critically endangered animals.
Titi Caqueta Food
Titi monkeys feed mainly on fruit, but their diet also contains leaves, seeds and insects.
Appearance Titi Caqueta
Scientifically called Callicebus caquetensis, the Titi Caqueta monkey is the size of a cat. Its body is covered with gray-brown fur, but it lacks the white spot on the top of its head, characteristic of many Callicebus species, with which it is related.
Its long tail shows grey dots and its cheeks are surrounded by a bushy, reddish beard. This species is, like all other Titi monkeys, monogamous, and at the head of the family or group is a male and a female pair.
When they are quiet, baby monkeys make sounds similar to those cats make when they purr. Parents travel in family groups, consisting of: mother, father and one to four cubs at a time.
Behavior Titi Caqueta
Each morning, titi monkeys of the species Callicebus caquetensis use a call, considered to be one of the most complex calls in the animal kingdom, to mark their territory.
"This discovery is extremely interesting because for a long time we could not confirm that these monkeys are different from other Titi.
We now know that they are part of a unique species, and the fact that they were discovered in the Amazon demonstrates a rich diversity of life."said Dr. Thomas Defler.
Breeding Titi Caqueta
Females give birth on average one cub per year.
After another cub is born, the older one is deprived of the attention of the parents, who turn entirely to the newborn.
