Creature Feature #213: Emperor Tamarin

The Emperor Tamarin owes his common name to German Emperor, Wilhelm II, due to his rather proud moustache. He is found in montane forests, high in the treetops, feeding on fruit and flowers, as well as sap and the occasional small animal, such as an insect or frog. His extended family group is called a "troop" and is lead by the breeding female and a dominant male (not necessarily the father of her offspring). Only one female breeds, and she will mate with multiple males, who all assist in raising the infants.

Creature Feature #171: Douroucouli

The Douroucouli, or Owl Monkey, are a Genus of nocturnal monkeys inhabiting the forests of South America. His eyes are large and round, giving him excellent night vision and he has good spatial awareness, making him adept at catching insects, although he also enjoys a diet of fruit, flowers and leaves. Unusual among New World monkeys, he has no colour vision. He establishes a monogamous bond with his mate, and they produce one offspring a year. The mother carries the infant for the first few weeks of its life, and then it is put into the care of its father. Groups consist of the pair and their immature offspring, with maturity reached at between 2 and 5 years of age, depending on species.

Creature Feature #170: Douc

The Douc are a Genus of striking langur monkeys found in Southeast Asia. This fellow is the Red-Shanked species and he is occasionally referred to as the "costumed ape" (although he is not an ape at all). Troops consist of between 4 and 15 members, with up to 50 recorded, and with twice as many females as males. An aerial specialist - the males lead the troops through the treetops, making soaring leaps of up to 6 meters. He is a very expressive monkey, with individuals communicating emotion through facial expression. Gentle and peaceful, the troop gather in the branches to chew on leaves and will share tidbits with one another.

Creature Feature #129: Cottontop Tamarin

The diminutive Cottontop is a New World monkey now restricted to a tiny area in northwest Colombia. He is critically endangered due to deforestation - having lost three-quaters of his original habitat. Troops consist of 2-9 individuals, of which only the dominant pair will produce offspring. Twins are frequent, and the whole troop takes care of the baby-sitting. The dominant female releases a pheromone  to suppress the sexual behaviour of subordinate females. Despite the altruism shown in the shared care, these monkeys have been shown to exhbiti spiteful behaviour, with individuals being targeted and forced from the troop.

Creature Feature #119: Colobus Monkey

There are a number of species of Colobus Monkey divided into two Genus. The black and white are the most well known, but the Red (Piliocolobus) species are the most colourful, as well as being the most endangered: with three of the nine species classified as "critically endangered". These "Old World" monkeys live in troops, which can have up to 80 members, with twice as many females as males and a strong social hierarchy. Adolescent monkeys often leave their natal troop to join other groups, but other groups can be suspcious and violent, thus the "teenagers" will occasionally join up with a neighbouring green monkey troop and "spy" on the group they wish to join. Aside from the usual threats of deforestation and being hunted for bush-meat, Red Colobus are also predated by chimpanzees. Studies have shown that chimpanzees are responsible for 6-12% of female/infant deaths in some areas.