Titi

Titi monkey is of the genus Callicebus. There are about 20 species of small arboreal monkeys that are known to have a long furred tail and are mostly found in South American rainforests especially in the Amazon and other rivers. The titi monkeys have long, smooth, glossy fur and tiny, spherical heads with flat, high faces. Even the biggest species weigh less than 2 kg and are between 25 and 60 cm long, with a tail that is almost the same length. Titis can be dark brown, grey, reddish, or blackish in color, with lighter or different colored underparts, face, limbs, and tail according to the species. They are active during the day and live in monogamous, territorial groups. Titis interweave their tails when resting in trees, but they utilize the tail for balance while hunting for food, bird eggs, insects, and small vertebrates. Breeding is not a seasonal activity. Except when being fed, the lone offspring clings to the male. The titis are considered to be new world monkeys that belong to the family of Pitheciidae which are other primates. 

In this article, we are going to discuss the titi monkey, its genus, its description, habitat, behavior, the role it plays in the wild, and also a few of the most frequently asked questions will also be answered. 

Titi Monkey Description

• Titi monkeys are a kind of monkey that belongs to the Callicebus genus. There are around 20 distinct species, with the primary differences being their size and color patterns in their fur.

• The titi monkeys vary in color but they mostly have reddish, brownish, or blackish fur on their body although the shades might differ and it also depends on each species. The fur on their body is pretty long, thick, and very soft with a likewise shady appearance and has lighter shades on the undersides. 

• Their hind limbs are quite lengthy. They have short canines that let them graze on foliage and fruits. The tail is non-prehensile and hairy. The female tail may be 36 to 64cm long, whereas the male tail can be 39 to 50cm long.

• Male titi monkeys weigh between 850g and 1200g, whereas females weigh between 700g and 1020g. Males have a body length of 30-45cm, while females have a length of 29-42cm.

• The titi monkeys can walk, clamber, and leap to get about. They are rarely seen on the ground since they prefer to live in trees in search of food. They move quickly while on the ground.

Biology of the Titi Monkeys 

• Titi monkey is a diurnal and arboreal species that prefers deep woodlands near water. Their German name, Springaffen, comes from their ability to hop from branch to branch (jumping monkeys). They sleep at night but can even nap in the middle of the day.

• Titis are very protective of their territory. They live in family groups of two to seven animals, consisting of parents and their progeny. They protect their area by yelling and driving intruders away, but they rarely fight. Their grooming and communication are critical to the group's cooperation. They are usually observed sitting or sleeping in couples, their tails interwoven.

• The diet of the titi monkeys mainly consists of fruits and vegetables although they are also known to eat leaves, flowers, insects, bird eggs, and small vertebrates. 

• Titi monkeys are known to be monogamous, that is they mate for life. The female titi monkey bears a single young one after a five-month gestation period. 

• While the second newborn normally does not live, there have been occasions where neighbors have adopted newborns, indicating that twins can be reared successfully under specific situations. Often, the father is the one who looks after the child, carrying it and only delivering it to the mother to nurse. Grooming, food sharing, examining, aggressiveness, and playing with newborns are all activities that fathers participate in more than moms. After 5 months, the babies are weaned, and after two years, they are completely matured.

• The young titi monkeys, after three to four years, leave their family group in order to find a mate. The members of the venus Cheracebus may live upto 12 to 15 years in the wild and they could live upto 25 years in captivity. 

Titi Monkey Habitat and Range

• Titi monkeys may be found in Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru in South America. Depending on criteria including temperature, plant cover, and height, different species are endemic to various states.

• In the riparian habitat, there are three species of red titi monkeys found. The titi monkeys may be found west of the Rio Madeira in Brazil, and populations may be found near the Rio Huallaga in Peru. They're also found in Bolivia and Peru's upper Rio Madre de Dios basin, near the northern Rio-Maranon-Amazonas region, and in Peru and Ecuador's Eastern Cordillera. The area between the Rios Guamues and the Putumayo in Colombia is home to red titi monkeys.

• Between the Putumayo and the upper Rio Orinoco basin, there is a gap of around 350 kilometers and in that region, no titi monkeys are found. Few of the titi monkeys population is also found along the eastern base of the  Sierra de la Macarena which is between the Guyabero and Upian rivers. 

• Titi monkeys enjoy densely forested places, such as forest borders, swamps, rain forests, riverbanks, thickets, and so on. Forests and freefall margins, as well as secondary growth and patches in the center of savannahs and along rivers, are preferred habitats. They wonder about their habitats in search of fruits, as the majority of the fruits they eat are seasonal.

• There are several species of the titi monkeys that when studied upon were found to have a distinct habitat preference such as the Callicebus donacophilus inhabits open grasslands and savannahs while Callicebus cinerascens prefers to live on woodlands and dense forests. 

The Behavior of the Titi Monkeys 

• Titis live in camps with a minimum of two and a maximum of seven individuals, with the male serving as a leader in these groupings. They are monogamous by nature, with only one mating partner for the rest of their lives. The father looks after the children, protects them, and only delivers them to the mother to nurse.

• These monkeys are most active during the day until they retire at twilight. Fruit is plentiful during the warm season, causing them to awake early to feed, whereas fruits are scarce during the colder season, causing them to sleep longer.

• Most of the titis species live on the branches which are found roughly fifteen meters off the ground. Members of this species sleep close to one another and generally use their tails to wrap around the young ones to protect them when they are fast asleep. 

• The titi monkeys have a small home range and due to this reason they don’t exhibit any curiosity and they hesitate to approach a new situation even if it’s comfortable. They use a range of vocalizations to identify, protect, and reinforce their area because they are territorial.

• Titi monkeys can live happily among other primates including squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, and tamarins. Larger primates would compete with titis for food, especially the larger fruit trees, and titis would be totally wiped out.

• High and low-pitched squeaks, trills, chirps, and grunts are used by titi monkeys to communicate. They communicate using high-pitched noises when faced with threats and aggression, whereas lower-pitched noises are frequently utilized in communication among themselves and with other social groups in the environment. During copulation, tenderness, and welcome, they groan.

• Titis also communicate physically by grooming and tying their tails together while sleeping. Mates groom and entwine with one another rather than with the other members of their group. Males are particularly protective and loving of their mates, grooming them and their infants frequently.

• Titi monkeys are preyed upon by raptors such as eagles and owls. Jaguars and snakes are among the other predators. Infants with titis are more susceptible to predators, despite the males' constant care. To avoid such predators, titi monkeys frequently hide in dense greenery, tangled figs, and branches where predators would have difficulties finding them.

Titi Monkeys Diet 

• Fruits make up the majority of the titi monkey's diet, although they also eat leaves, insects, birds' eggs, and small animals. They typically eat the unripe fruits of tiny trees. Cocoons, butterflies, moths, spiders, and ants are among the insects they devour. Leaves, especially young leaves and leaf buds, which are high in protein, make up a substantial part of their diet.

• They don't really need to drink water because they get it from their diet. The fruits and leaves contain a lot of water, which is enough to keep them hydrated. Some animals, on the other hand, have been observed drinking water from rivers and streams.

• The red titi monkeys are known to spend approximately 75% of their free time eating fruits and the other 25% of the time they consume other stuff, this shows that they love fruits a lot. Ficus and Brosimum rubescens, both soft fruits, are the two most commonly consumed. Berries are also often consumed. Morning and late afternoon are the busiest feeding times, with extra leaf-eating before sleeping. Red titi monkeys are rarely spotted dining in the same trees like other primates, though they may be spotted dining in a tree before or after another species of primate.

• Individuals in a family group frequently eat from the same food source at the same time, implying that feeding times may have a social component. Females have been reported to quadruple their insect consumption during breastfeeding, a time when their protein requirements increase. It is been found that the males have not been seen to make any changes to their diet during the period in which they carry the infant on their backs while nursing them. 

Communication and Perception of the Titi Monkeys 

• The red titi monkeys are known to have a very strong sense of smell which actually plays a very important role in communication through olfaction. When two red titi monkeys meet for the first time, they sniff each other's faces. Males also sniff their mate's genital region before copulating and on other occasions. They also stroke each other's chests. Male red titi monkeys have been spotted smelling horizontal trees after stroking their chests across them, dispersing secretions from their sternal glands. This may be used to mark territory, however, people have only been seen smelling their own scents, not those of others. Grooming and tail interweaving are social bonding activities that include all members of the group.

• At the end of the night, before resting, members of a family group will intertwine their tails. When red titi monkeys are enthusiastic or furious, they present a variety of visual clues. Angry people may sway their bodies, turn away, shake their heads and bodies, or raise and lash their tails. A lowered head, closed eyelids, protruding lips, bared teeth, an arched back, and piloerection are some other visual clues.

• Red titi monkeys are extremely loud creatures with a complicated vocalization system. Whistles, shouts, groans, and groans are among the vocal aspects. Bellows, pumping, and panting, which are the fundamental components of male and female pair duets, are the most commonly utilized vocalizations. Duets are frequently done at the home range's border and are conducted every day at or before sunrise. Duetting is vital in creating territorial borders between family groupings because it causes neighboring couples to react.

• Over time, a pair's synchronicity and sequencing for performing their duet improve. A new couple will start duetting on the day they become mates, however, fresh pairs have more variety in the duration of their duet sequences than established couples. The weather appears to have an effect on the frequency of duetting, as couples have been recorded making more calls on cloudy days than clear days and not making calls during rain. Males that are not coupled and do not live in the same area interact with one another with vocalizations that are distinct from male duetting sounds.

Reproduction in the Titi Monkeys 

• Family units have a strong sense of belonging. A monogamous adult couple and their progeny from many seasons make up a family group. After two to three years, children leave their familial group.

• Grooming is a vital practice that helps members of a group improve their social relationships. Family members groom each other frequently, particularly during mid-day naps.

• Tail entwining, in which two people sit with their tails wrapped around each other, is used to strengthen pair bonding. When two family members are sitting together, tail twining is especially prevalent between the adult male and female. Whether the monkeys are awake or asleep, this is true.

• After a 160-day gestation period, female titi monkeys give birth to a single kid, with births normally happening between November and March. Every year, roughly one infant is born to females. Around the age of eight months, the young are weaned. When the female is not breastfeeding, the male assists in the care of the child by carrying it.

• Titi monkeys, like other Neotropical primates, are diurnal. They usually sleep on a vine-encrusted tree together, and they frequently return to the same tree night after night.

Predation 

• There are predators that prey on the titi monkeys. Diurnal birds of prey, cats, and potentially capuchin monkeys are among the predators that may prey on red titi monkeys (Cebus). In comparison to bigger neotropical primates, red titi monkeys are not the primary source of food for local hunters, making human predation risks unlikely.

• Red titi monkeys are essential prey for diurnal raptors and, occasionally, Cebus monkeys in their environment. They also compete with other neotropical primates for food supplies. Finally, the seeds of the fruits they consume may be dispersed.