Close-up of new Titi monkeys in Columbia

Scientists have announced the discovery of the new Titi monkey, scientifically named Callicebus caquetensis in the Amazon rainforest of Columbia , a country that borders Ecuador and Peru.

While the Amazon forest is being devastated by logging, agricultural production, road expansion, animal husbandry, mining and oil exploration, news of a new species of Titi monkeys has been discovered. The world's largest tropical rain still has many surprises that will be discovered in the future.

The new Titi monkey, called Callicebus caquetensis

According to National Geographic magazine (USA), animal behavioral researcher Martin Moynihan for the first time glimpsed Callicebus monkey caquetensis in the 1960s. But due to political conflicts in Caquetá province, southern Columbia it should have been kept until the scientists who made the last expedition in 2008 confirmed that Titi monkey is a new species, named Caquetá titi (Callicebus caquetensis).

Monkey individual Caquetá titi mature

The findings were published in Primate Conservation magazine.The leader of the 2008 expedition was Professor Thomas Defler, working at Columbia National University and his colleague Marta Bueno and student Javier García, in addition to the cooperation of the International Conservation Organization (CI ).

A monkey Caquetá titi in defensive position

García said that when violence in Caquetá province decreased in recent years, he and his research team surveyed the upstream area of ​​Caquetá river and used Global Positioning System (GPS) to search and identify traces. and listening to the call of the monkey Caquetá titi, the results were positive when the expedition found 13 groups of this new Titi species.

Caquetá titi monkey placed on the hand

'This discovery is extremely interesting because we have heard about this animal, but for a long time we could not confirm whether Callicebus caquetensis was different from other Titi monkeys. We now know that this is a new Titi monkey species and it shows the rich, diverse life still discovered in the Amazon forest , 'Professor Defler said in a press release.

Monkey Caquetá titi females are cared for in captivity

Callicebus caquetensis is about the size of a cat, has gray-brown hairs but does not have a white front edge like other Titi cousins.The tail of this monkey is long, gray and it has red fur around its cheeks.Unlike other primates, the monkeys Caquetá titi (and perhaps all other Titi monkeys) have a faithful life - monogamous - they create a long-term relationship, to the season. Coordinating scientists often see 'partners' sitting on branches with their tails wrapped tightly together.

Monkey Caquetá titi is female

They usually give birth to one child per year.And when the baby monkey was born, the elder siblings were forced to be independent so that the parents could focus on taking care of their youngest brother.The family of monkeys Caquetá titi usually consists of 4 members and moves together, often seeing them concentrated on trees near the main rivers of Caquetá province.

Monkey Caquetá titi is female

However, according to CI, the monkey Caquetá titi is currently listed as ' Critically Endangered' in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List (IUCN), which means it faces The risk of extinction is very high in nature in the near future. Currently, the population of Callicebus caquetensis monkeys is less than 250 individuals, they live in forest areas that have been devastated by humans for agricultural production, in addition to this area of ​​Titi monkeys. besieged by desert and barbed wire.

Monkey Caquetá titi is female

'This finding is particularly important because not only does it remind us to' celebrate 'the diversity of the earth, but also to act now to protect it,' said José Vicente Rodríguez, head of research. science at CI, and president of Columbia Zoology Association, said.

Monkey Caquetá titi is female

'World leaders will have a meeting later this year in Japan to discuss the Convention on Biodiversity, they must commit to more protected areas if we want to ensure survival. of Callicebus caquetensis monkeys that live in the Amazon forests of Columbia and other threatened species in other parts of the world, 'said Rodríguez.

Monkey Caquetá titi resembles the one placed on the hand in captivity

In recent years, scientists have discovered a number of new monkey species.At the end of last year, the new monkey species with scientific name is Saguinus fuscicollis mura, belonging to Tamarin monkey species with very saddle-like back, discovered in the Amazon tropical deep forest in Amazonas state, northwest Brazil.In 2008, researchers also found a new monkey species of the Uakari monkey, scientific name Aracá uakari (Cacajao ayresii) after it was killed by the Yanomamo tribe in Brazil.

Compare Callicebus caquetensis monkeys with other Titi cousins (Photo: Stephen Nash / CI )

The Titi species belong to the Callicebus monkey.Worldwide there are 29 species of Titi monkeys, living in the New World region (a name used to refer to the Americas used in the 16th century), mainly in South America, from Columbia to Brazil, Peru and north. Paraguay.Titi monkeys (or zogui zogui when it is called in Spanish) are one of the most sophisticated primates and they often store the cry of the morning morning to mark the territory.

Photo: ARKIVE