Titi

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This article is about New World monkeys of the genus Callicebus. For other meanings of the word 'titi', see titi (disambiguation).

iTitis

Image:Dusky titi monkey.jpg

Red-bellied Titi Callicebus moloch

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorrhini
Family:	Pitheciidae
Subfamily:	Callicebinae Pocock, 1925
Genus:	Callicebus Thomas, 1903

Type Species

Simia personatus
É. Geoffroy, 1812

Species

28 species, see text

The titis, or titi monkeys, are the New World monkeys of the genus Callicebus. They are the only extant members of the Callicebinae subfamily, which also contains the extinct genera Xenothrix, Antillothrix, Paralouatta, Carlocebus, Homunculus, Lagonimico and possibly also Tremacebus.

Titis live in South America, from Colombia to Brazil, Peru and north Paraguay.

The different titi species vary substantially in size and coloring but resemble each other in most other physical ways. The fur is long and soft and it is usually reddish, brownish or black and with a lighter underside. Some species have a bright collar or black stripes at the head. The tail is always furry and is not prehensile.

Diurnal and arboreal, titis predominantly prefer dense forests near water. They easily jump from branch to branch, earning them their German name, "jumping monkey". They sleep at night, but also take a midday nap.

Titis are territorial. They live in family groups which consist of parents and their offspring, about three to seven animals. They defend their territory by shouting and chasing off intruders. Their grooming and communication is important for the co-operation of the group. They can typically be seen in pairs sitting or sleeping.

The diet of the titis consists mainly of fruits, although they also eat leaves, insects, bird eggs and small vertebrates.

Titis are monogamous, mating for life. The female bears a single young animal after about a five-month gestation. The father cares for the young, carrying it and bringing it to the mother only for nursing. The young are weaned after 5 months and are fully grown after a year. After two to three years they leave their family group in order to find a mate. Their life expectancy is up to 12 years.

[edit] Classification

The number of species of titis has doubled in recent years, many discovered in the Amazon basin. The classification presented here is therefore very different from classifications used twenty years ago. The naming rights to a recently discovered species were auctioned off, an unusual event in scientific classification, and the winner was the online casino GoldenPalace.com. The GoldenPalace.com Monkey (Callicebus aureipalatii) is not listed here because its location in the listing has yet to be determined.

Subfamily Callicebinae
- Genus Callicebus
  - Subgenus Callicebus
    - C. donacophilus group
      - White-eared Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) donacophilus
      - Rio Beni Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) modestus
      - Rio Mayo Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) oenanthe
      - Ollala Brothers' Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) olallae
      - White-coated Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) pallescens
    - C. moloch group
      - Baptista Lake Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) baptista
      - Prince Bernhard's Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) bernhardi
      - Brown Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) brunneus
      - Ashy Black Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) cinerascens
      - Hoffmanns's Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) hoffmannsi
      - Red-bellied Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) moloch
    - C. personatus group
      - Barbara Brown's Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) barbarabrownae
      - Coimbra Filho's Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) coimbrai
      - Coastal Black-handed Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) melanochir
      - Black-fronted Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) nigrifrons
      - Atlantic Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) personatus
    - C. cupreus group
      - Chestnut-bellied Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) caligatus
      - Coppery Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) cupreus
      - White-tailed Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) discolor
      - Hershkovitz's Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) dubius
      - Ornate Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) ornatus
      - Stephen Nash's Titi, Callicebus (Callicebus) stephennashi
  - Subgenus Torquatus
    - Lucifer Titi, Callicebus (Torquatus) lucifer
    - Black Titi, Callicebus (Torquatus) lugens
    - Colombian Black-handed Titi, Callicebus (Torquatus) medemi
    - Rio Purus Titi, Callicebus (Torquatus) purinus
    - Red-headed Titi, Callicebus (Torquatus) regulus
    - Collared Titi, Callicebus (Torquatus) torquatus

[edit] References

Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 141-146. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.