The species Aotus, otherwise known as "owl monkeys" or "night monkeys" are the only species of nocturnal New World primate. As a New World species, Aotus can only be found high up in the jungle canopies and mountain ranges of South America. Owl monkeys are also one of the rare species of primate that is monogamous and usually choose one mate for their entire lives. Living in isolated family units rather than large troops also sets owl monkey behavior apart from many species of primate.
Team Aotus is very fortunate to study the largest semi-naturalistic colony of owl monkey in the United States, right here in South Florida! Very little is known about owl monkey social behavior or infant development, so we make new discoveries about this interesting species all the time. Our efforts to better understand the behavior and development of owl monkeys will hopefully benefit owl monkey ecology in both the wild and in captivity.
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