Cyber Flashcards

10 OF THE MOST ENDANGERED PRIMATE SPECIES

#5

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Photo courtesy of © Javier Garcia/Estación Ecológica Omé
what is thIS PRIMATE'S common name?
CAQUETÁ TITI
also known as the red-bearded titi or the bushy-bearded titi
What is the scientific name?
Callicebus caquetensis
​WHAT KIND OF PRIMATE IS THIS?
MONKEY
Where do they live?
The Caquetá titi lives deep in the hot and humid rainforests of the Caquetá region of Colombia, close to the border of Ecuador and Peru. The species’ range encompasses an area of about 39 mi² (100 km²) and includes dense, low forests of small, thin, broadleaved trees and bushes surrounded by swampy pastureland.
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Latin America
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Where Caquetá titis live. Map: Blackfish & IUCN/Creative Commons
New world or old world?
NEW WORLD
fascinating facts
  • The Caquetá titi was discovered in 2008 deep in the hot, humid rainforest of the Caquetá region of Colombia
  • It is a small sturdy monkey that purrs like a cat
  • Population: about 250 individuals—on the verge of extinction!
  • One of the world's 25 most endangered primate species
What threatens their future?
Healthy population should be in the thousands, but they are in the low hundreds. Habitat destruction—land cleared for agricultural use, including illicit crop growth (for drug cultivation) and widespread ranching—is to blame for the low number of Caquetá titi monkeys. Pollution and environmental poisoning through herbicides and pesticides are additional risk factors. The monkeys are also hunted for food. Because their natural habitat is fragmented, Caquetá titi monkeys are forced to live as isolated groups, confined to certain areas by barbed wire and a barren savanna that has been grazed by cattle. If this severe habitat degradation continues the Caquetá titi monkey population is anticipated to continue to plummet and this tiny bearded primate, who purrs like a cat and who some say looks like a leprechaun, may eventually be forever lost from the world.
​WHAT IS their CONSERVATION STATUS?
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
What Does this Conservation Status mean?
Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Any species categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable is considered by conservation scientists to be a threatened species
​HERE'S A SNAPSHOT AND THE SPECIES' PROFILE
Click or tap on the graphic to enlarge it
​LEARN MORE ABOUT CAQUETÁ Titis
Go to the Caquetá titi Primate Species Profiles page
are CAQUETÁ Titis good pets?
NO
  1. Despite their small size, Caquetá titi monkeys are wild animals. Their dietary and environmental needs cannot be adequately met or replicated in human living conditions. 
  2. To become pets, baby primates are stolen from their mothers. As a result, they do not develop normally emotionally.
  3. When taken from the wild, their mothers are killed to capture the baby.
  4. Primates are never domesticated. They always remain wild. 
  5. Caged primates are very unhappy and frustrated. They are likely to resist confinement. They are quick and cause damaging bites and scratches. Some die as a result of their captivity.
  6. Many locations have strict regulations that prohibit trading in or keeping primates and endangered species are pets.
  7. Caquetá titis belong with other titi monkeys in Colombia's rainforests. They and their habitats must be protected, not exploited.
#PrimatesAreNotPets
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​Common names are not officially defined. They are based on everyday conversational language and may differ by country, region, profession, community, or other factors. As a result, it is not unusual for a species to have multiple common names.

Scientific names, on the other hand, are standardized and constant. They are Latinized and rule-bound by a formal naming system called binominal nomenclature. Scientific names prevent misidentification. They typically only change if a species is officially redesignated.
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The biological order of Primates is divided into these classifications:​
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​​New World monkeys are native to Central and South America.

Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia.
Learn about the differences between New World monkeys and Old World monkeys
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  • ​Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity.
  • Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
  • Least Concern (LC) – Widespread and abundant.
  • Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to assess the species' risk of extinction.
  • Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated.
Learn more about ​Conservation Statuses
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