#aotidae

Gray-bellied Night Monkey (Aotus lemurinus), family Aotidae, Colombia

A group of Spix's night monkeys (Aotus vociferans) in Sucumbíos, Ecuador

Panamanian Night Monkey Aotus zonalis

Found in Panama and the Chocó region of Colombia. The Panamanian night monkey is arboreal and nocturnal, and found in several types of forest, including secondary forest and coffee plantations. They are one of the few monogamous monkeys, and generally give birth to a single infant each year, although twins occasionally occur.

There’s no job like a single dad- just ask Nancy Ma’s night monkey. Just a week after giving birth, mothers of this species drive off their young, who then receive sole care from their fathers. These dads carry their babies from tree to tree, groom them, and teaches them all the skills they need to be successful monkeys. Because of this, the bond between father and child remains strong well into an adulthood.

(Image: A Nancy Ma’s night monkey (Aotus nancymaae) by Seig Kopinitz)

Three-Striped owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus) in Zoo Zagreb, Croatia