Ateles hybridus (Information about this image)
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Infraordo: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Euarchontoglires
Ordo: Primates
Subordo: Haplorhini
Infraordo: Simiiformes
Parvordo: Platyrrhini
Familia: Atelidae
Subfamilia: Atelinae
Genus: Ateles
Species: Ateles hybridus
Name
Ateles hybridus I. Geoffroy, 1829
References
IUCN: Ateles hybridus I. Geoffroy, 1829 (Critically Endangered)
Vernacular names
English: Brown Spider Monkey
português: Macaco-aranha-marrom
Türkçe: Kahverengi yünlü örümcek maymunu
The brown spider monkey or variegated spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) is a critically endangered species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from forests in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Like all spider monkeys, it has long, slender limbs and a long prehensile tail. The brown spider monkey has a whitish belly and patch on the forehead, and – highly unusual among spider monkeys – its eyes can be pale blue.
The brown spider monkey is one of the most threatened primates in the Neotropics and has been listed six times on The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates.
Taxonomy
Some scientists recognise two subspecies, Ateles hybridus hybridus, found in both Colombia and Venezuela and Ateles hybridus brunneus, found between Cauca and Magdalena River in Colombia.[1] Molecular studies have not supported the subspecies designations and treat the species as a single taxon.[3][2]
Physical description
The brown spider monkey has long and thin limbs with longer forelimbs than hind limbs. It has a distinctive 75 cm (30 in) long flexible, thin and prehensile tail which at times acts like a fifth limb. The tail has a highly flexible, hairless tip with skin grooves which improves grip. Its fingers are curved and it has small thumbs. These features make it possible for it to climb trees at high elevations, and hang and swing from one tree to another without often having to return to the ground. Adult males weigh between 7.9 and 9.1 kg (17 and 20 lb) and adult females weigh between 7.5 and 9 kg (17 and 20 lb). Its average adult body length is 50 cm (20 in). Its coloration ranges from light brown to dark on upper parts including the head. Its most distinctive characteristic is a whitish triangular forehead patch, although not all individuals have one. Some have pale blue eyes but most are brown.[4][5]
Distribution
The brown spider monkey is found in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.[1] In Colombia, it is found from the right bank of the Magdalena River in the Magdalena and Cesar Departments, the south western portions of Guajira in the northernmost parts of the Serrania de Perija, and in the middle Magdalena River Valley at least to the Caldas and Cundinamarca Departments.[4] In Venezuela, the brown spider monkey is normally found at altitudes between 20 and 700 m (66 and 2,297 ft).[2]
Ecology and behaviour
Brown spider monkey from Venezuela
Even though the brown spider monkey spends most of its time high in trees, it occasionally descends to eat soil and drink water. Since it forages in high canopies, it prefers undisturbed primary forests.[4] The brown spider monkey travels in small groups, and instead of walking or running on all fours, it travels mostly by swinging and climbing between trees.[2]
The brown spider monkey mainly forages in the forest canopy and relies mostly on its senses of sight, smell, taste, and touch to find food. It is mainly herbivorous and frugivorous. A main component of the brown spider monkey's diet is ripe fruit. Over three quarters of its diet is lipid-rich fruits. However, in drier seasons where fruit is less abundant, it feeds on leaves, seeds, flowers, bark, honey, decaying wood, and occasionally insects such as termites and caterpillars.[2] The brown spider monkey feeds on different species of figs year around. Scientists have observed it eating soil and clay, and hypothesized that the reasons for this behavior could be to obtain minerals from the soil, for example phosphorus, or in order to maintain a pH-balance in its digestive system. The brown spider monkey finds water to drink on the forest floor at "salado sites." Competition for food occurs between spider monkeys and other frugivorous primates.[4]
Average lifespan of a spider monkey is 27 years, however, in captivity it can reach 40 years old.[4]
Natural predators include jaguars (Panthera onca), mountain lions (Puma concolor), harpy eagles (Harpia harpyja), and crested eagles (Morphnus guianensis). The brown spider monkey is known to shake branches in order to ward off potential predators.[4]
Conservation
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The brown spider monkey is one of the most threatened primates in the Neotropics.[6] The population is estimated to have decreased by at least 80% and some populations have already been extirpated.[7] Few remaining populations are of adequate size to be viable long-term.[2] Almost 60 brown spider monkeys were recorded at various zoo (mostly European) that participated in the International Species Information System in 2010, but breeding is slow.[8] Habitat loss is ongoing within its wild range, and an estimated 98% of its habitat already is gone.[9] Habitat loss is driven both by logging, and land clearance for agriculture and cattle ranches.[2] It is also threatened by hunting (in some regions it is the favorite game) and the wild animals trade.[7] One study did not show a significant difference between population densities inside versus outside forest areas disturbed by loggers. It has been hypothesized that this anomaly is due to the sample being taken from El Paujil reserve, which is a protected area and may serve as refuge from other human activities, namely poaching.[6]
A small population of fewer than 30 individuals has been discovered in a protected area of Colombia, the Selva de Florencia National Natural Park [es]. This is the southernmost population of the brown spider monkey.[10] Brown spider monkeys are also known from other reserves in both Colombia and Venezuela.[2]
References
Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 151. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
Link, A.; Urbani, B.; Stevenson, P.R.; Mittermeier, R.A. (2020). "Ateles hybridus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T39961A17929680. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T39961A17929680.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
Link, Andrés; Valencia, Lina María; Céspedes, Laura Natalia; Duque, Liz Diana; Cadena, Carlos Daniel & Di Fiore, Anthony (2015). "Phylogeography of the critically endangered brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus): testing the riverine barrier hypothesis". International Journal of Primatology. 36 (3): 530–547. doi:10.1007/s10764-015-9840-6. S2CID 17621468.
Thunstrom, Maria (2009). "Ateles hybridus brown spider monkey". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
Emmons, L.H. (1997). Neotropical Rainforest Animals (2nd ed.). p. 144. ISBN 0-226-20719-6.
Aldana, Ana María; Beltrán, Marta; Torres-Neira, Johanna & Stevenson, Pablo R. (2008). "Habitat characterization and population density of brown spider monkeys (Ateles hybridus) in Magdalena Valley, Colombia". Neotropical Primates. 15 (2): 46–50. doi:10.1896/044.015.0203. S2CID 83628317.
Mittermeier, R.A.; Wallis, J.; Rylands, A.B.; Ganzhorn, J.U.; Oates, J.F.; Williamson, E.A.; Palacios, E.; Heymann, E.W.; Kierulff, M.C.M.; Long Yongcheng; Supriatna, J.; Roos, C.; Walker, S.; Cortés-Ortiz, L. & Schwitzer, C., eds. (2009). Primates in peril: the world's 25 most endangered primates 2008–2010 (PDF). Illustrated by S.D. Nash. Arlington, VA.: IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG), International Primatological Society (IPS), and Conservation International (CI). pp. 1–92. ISBN 978-1-934151-34-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23.
"Ateles hybridus". International Species Information System. 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
"Tragic demise of the Magdalena spider monkey". Fundación ProAves. 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
Dell'Amore, Christine (27 January 2012). "Near-extinct monkeys found in Colombian Park". National Geographic. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
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