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Reproduction of the owl monkey ( Aotus nancymai ) (primates:Cebidae) in captivity
Author(s) -
Gozalo Alfonso,
Montoya Enrique
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
american journal of primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.988
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1098-2345
pISSN - 0275-2565
DOI - 10.1002/ajp.1350210107
Subject(s) - captivity , cebidae , offspring , biology , reproduction , litter , zoology , gestation period , gestation , ecology , pregnancy , genetics
There are few reports and poorly documented field studies about the reproductive biology of the owl monkey ( Aotus spp.). Reproductive data were collected from a breeding colony of owl monkeys ( Aotus nancymai ) held at the Center for Reproduction and Conservation of Non‐Human Primates in Iquitos, Peru, for the past 10 years. Seventy nine breeding pairs have produced 180 offspring in a period of 3,619 months, representing an average of about one offspring for every 20 months that a pair was housed together. Neonatal mortality in the first week was 7.1%. Litter size was almost one (99.4%). The mean age at first birth in a group of nine females born in captivity was 40.56 ± 7.82 (S.D.) months. The mean age of a group of 12 males born in the colony when their female mates produced offspring was 42.17 ± 10.73 (S.D.) months. Gestation length did not exceed 141 days. Interbirth interval averaged 12.72 months. A birth peak was observed from October to January. Breeding Aotus nancymai on a large scale in captivity is feasible.