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Night monkey Facts

Night monkey Facts
Night monkeys are mysterious and rarely seen primates because they are active only at night. There are around 10 different species of night monkeys that live in Central and South America. They can be found in Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia and Brazil. Night monkeys usually inhabit dense tropical rainforests, located on the high altitudes. They can be also seen in lowland forests and scrublands. Number of night monkeys in the wild dropped for 30% in the last couple of decades due to habitat loss and as a result of armed conflicts. Night monkeys are listed as endangered species.
Interesting Night monkey Facts:
Night monkeys can reach 12 to 16.5 inches in length and 32 to 34 ounces of weight. Males and females are similar in size.
Night monkeys have grey fur on the back side of the body and pale grey or yellow fur on the front side. Species that live on higher altitudes have shaggier and denser fur compared to species that live in lowland forests.
Night monkeys have unusually colored faces. Light grey or white fur surrounds eyes, three horizontal black stripes run parallel to the eyebrows and one black dot lays between the eyes.
Night monkeys have large brown eyes that ensure excellent night vision. These animals have monochromatic vision, which means that they are color blind.
Night monkeys are also known as owl monkey (due to similarities in shape of the face and size of eyes), lemurine night monkey or douroucoulis.
Scientific name for the night monkeys is Aotus which means "earless". Night monkeys are named that way because of their extremely small ears.
Night monkeys have long, bushy tail that ends with black tip. Tail serves as an extra limb that facilitates movement through the dense vegetation.
Night monkeys are arboreal animal (spend their life in the trees).
Night monkeys are the only monkeys that are active during the night. They rest in the tree holes during the day.
Night monkeys eat different types of fruit, leaves and insects. Since majority of diet is based on the fruit, night monkeys are often called frugivorous animals.
Main predators of night monkeys are wild cats, large snakes and birds of prey.
Night monkeys are territorial animals. They vocalize and use scents to announce occupation of territory.
Night monkeys live in family groups composed of breeding couple and their offspring.
Night monkeys are monogamous animals (one couple mate for a lifetime). Pregnancy in females lasts 4 months and ends with one baby. Baby depends on the mother's milk 8 months. Young night monkeys reach sexual maturity at the age of 2.5 years. They leave family group at the age of 3 years.
Night monkeys can survive 11 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.


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