Ground use by northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)

Abstract

Many arboreal primates descend to the ground, a custom that may occur more frequently in disturbed habitats, and in the presence of researchers to whom the primates are habituated. In this paper, we describe opportunistic observations of ground use in two groups of northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) at the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Members of both groups were observed drinking, resting, feeding, playing, and traveling on the ground to different degrees, and variation in the levels of habituation of the two groups may be responsible for the differences in the distribution of their terrestrial activities. The potential increase in vulnerability to predation or disease owing to ground use has implications for the conservation of this critically endangered species.

Crying Tapir: The Functionality of Errors and Accuracy in Predator Recognition in Two Neotropical High-Canopy Primates

“…On the other hand, a low density of predators is thought to reduce primate alertness, which could at least partly explain the increased rate of non-essential activities (e.g. play) performed by arboreal northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) on the ground [Mourthé et al, 2007].…”

First observations of terrestrial travel for Olalla’s titi monkey (<i>Callicebus olallae</i>)

“…Marked terrestrial habits are present in some Catarrhini members such as Mandrillus, Papio and Macaca in the Old World. Observations of terrestrial behaviors were also reported for some essentially arboreal Neotropical primate species such as Alouatta, Cebus, Ateles and Brachyteles to obtain some food, water or minerals and/or for geographic dispersion (Dib et al, 1997;Emmons, 1999;Mandujano et al, 2004;Almeida Silva et al, 2005;Campbell et al, 2005;Mourthe et al, 2007;Pozo-Montuy & Serio-Silva, 2007). This last point is very important in fragmented forest habitats where monkeys move on the ground to reach new patches of forest but in so doing expose themselves to increased predation risks.…”

Uso do chão por <i>Brachyteles arachnoides</i> no Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgãos, Teresópolis, Brasil

“…Mourthé et al (2007) propõem que a perturbação do habitat e a presença de pesquisadores parecem facilitar o uso do chão por muriquis-do-norte habituados na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Feliciano Miguel Abdala em Caratinga (MG), enquanto Tabacow et al (2009) sugerem que o comportamento desta população representa uma expansão de nicho em um habitat fragmentado, onde as oportunidades de dispersão são limitadas, facilitada por uma difusão da tradição entre os indivíduos. Ao redescobrirem o muriqui no PARNASO, Garcia e Andrade Filho (2002) relataram um "comportamento de enfrentamento" dos animais à presença dos pesquisadores, o que corrobora a ideia de que os primatas não estavam habituados a encontros com seres humanos nesta área altamente conservada (Castro, 2008).…”