Saimiri sciureus

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Physical Description

Habitat

Tropical forests .

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,941 meters (0 to 9,649 feet).[1]

Ecology: Saimiri sciureus typically prefers seasonally inundated forests , river edge forest, floodplain , and secondary forests. Can also be found in gallery forest, low forests of sclerophytic vegetation, forested slopes , and palm forests (particularly associations of Mauritia flexuosa). They use all levels of the forest, but forage and travel mainly in the lower canopy and understorey. Locomotion involves predominantly quadupredal walking and running .

Squirrel monkeys are small frugivore-insectivores. They spend 75-80% of their day foraging for insects and other small animal prey (Mittermeier and Van Roosmalen 1981; Terborgh 1983; Boinski 1988). During dry season shortages of appropriate fruiting trees they are able to depend entirely on animal prey (Janson and Boinski 1992).

Saimiri groups are multi-male and can be large, up to 100 animals (larger groups are believed to be temporary mergers of two) but most frequently are of 20-75 individuals (Baldwin and Baldwin 1981; Terborgh 1983; Mitchell et al. 1991). As emphasized by Boinski (1999a,b; 2005; Boinski et al. 2005a,b), allthough all squirrel monkeys are morphologicallly very similar, their social systems are quite distinct (summarized in Sussman 2000).

In S. sciureus, studied in Suriname by Boinski (1999a,b, 2005; Boinski et al. 2005a,b), group sizes range from 15 to 50, and both sexes form a single, linear hiearchy in the group, with most males being dominant to females. Aggression between females is uncommon, but they do not form coalitions. Males form coalitions and can aggressive to each other. Males show vigilance in defense agianst predators . The fruits they exploit typically occur in small but extremely dense patches, and there is considerable feeding competition between group members , much higher than in S. boliviensis.

Mating and births in Saimiri are highly seasonal, seldom exceeding two months in duration. Single offspring. Mating usually occurs during the dry season. In S. sciureus, birth synchrony is less pronounced and births occur only once every two years.

Saimiri boliviensis and S. sciureus frequently form interspecific associations, travelling with Cebus albifrons or Cebus apella (Terborgh 1983; Wallace et al. 2000), benefitting from the disturbance casued by the capuchin monkeys above them which flushes out insects.

Size:
Weight : Adult male 740 g, adult female more than 635 g (Jack 2007).[2].

List of Habitats :

•     1     Forest   
  
•     1.6     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland   
  
•     1.8     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Swamp   
[more info]

Biology

Diet

Nuts, seeds, fruit, flowers, vegetation, and insects.

Reproduction

Females mature at 2.5 years, males at 4 years. Gestation is about 147 days. Babies will cling to the backs of their mother from birth. Young are completely weaned by 6 months.

Squirrel monkeys have a wide range of calls . Chirps and peeps keep them in contact with nearby monkeys.

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 30-Jul-2002

Saimiri taxonomy follows Hershkovitz (1984) and Groves (2001, 2005). An alternative taxonomy is presented by Thorington Jr. (1985) as follows: S. sciureus sciureus (includes the forms albigena, macrodon, and ustus recognized by Hershkovitz, [1984]), S. sciureus boliviensis (includes the forms pluvialis Lnnberg, 1940 and jaburuensis Lnnberg, 1940 recognized by Hershkovitz [1987]), S. sciureus cassiquiarensis, S. sciureus oerstedii (includes the form citrinellus recognized by Hershkovitz [1984]), and S. madeirae (given as a junior synonym of S. ustus by Hershkovitz [1984]). Hernndez-Camacho and Defler (1989) recognize S. sciureus caquetensis Allen 1916, given as a junior synonym of S. sciureus macrodon by Hershkovitz (1984). Costello et al. (1993) argued for the recognition of just two species: S. sciureus in South America, and S. oerstedii in Panama and Costa Rica. Boinski and Cropp (1999) using two nuclear genes (IRBP and ZFX) and one mitochondrial (D-Loop) strongly support the Hershkovitz (1984) taxonomy, advocating four distinct species: Saimiri sciureus, S. boliviensis, S. oerstedii and S. ustus.[2].

Similar Species

Members of the genus Saimiri

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 15 species and subspecies in this genus:

S. boliviensis (Bolivian/peruvian Squirrel Monkey) · S. boliviensis boliviensis (Bolivian Squirrel Monkey) · S. boliviensis jaburuensis (Squirrel Monkey) · S. boliviensis peruviensis (Peruvian Squirrel Monkey) · S. boliviensis pluvialis (Squirrel Monkey) · S. oerstedii (Black-Crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey) · S. oerstedii citrinellus (Grey-Crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey) · S. oerstedii oerstedii (Black-Crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey) · S. sciureus (South American Squirrel Monkey) · S. sciureus albigena (Colombian Squirrel Monkey) · S. sciureus cassiquiarensis (Humboldt's Squirrel Monkey) · S. sciureus macrodon (Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey) · S. sciureus sciureus (Guianan Squirrel Monkey) · S. ustus (Golden-Backed Squirrel Monkey) · S. vanzolinii (Black-Headed Squirrel Monkey)

More Info

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Further Reading

• A catalogue of the collection of mammals in the Field Columbian Museum. 1907 8 Chicago: Field Columbian Museum, 1907. url p. 647.
• A hand-book to the primates / by Henry O. Forbes. London: E. Lloyd, 1896-1897. url p. 156, p. 294.
• A hand-book to the primates, by Henry O. Forbes. London: W.H. Allen & Co., Ltd., 1894. url p. 154.
• A naturalist in Brazil; the record of a year's observation of her flora, her fauna, and her people, by Konrad Guenther. .. translated by Bernard Miall. .. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1931. url p. 381.
• A review of the primates / by Daniel Giraud Elliot. New York, U.S.A.: American Museum of Natural History, 1912 [i.e. 1913]. url , , , , , , p. 234, p. 235, p. 308, p. 309, p. 310, p. 312, p. 313, p. 314, p. 315.
• Advances in herpetology and evolutionary biology: essays in honor of Ernest E. Williams / Cambridge, Mass.: Museum of Comparative Zoology, 1983. url p. 522, p. 524, p. 527, p. 530, p. 532, p. 725.
• Advances in the study of mammalian behavior / edited by John F. Eisenberg and Devra G. Kleiman. [Stillwater, Okla.]: American Society of Mammalogists; 1983. url p. 272, p. 277, p. 279, p. 282, p. 288, p. 291, p. 292, p. 302, p. 339, p. 342.
• Checklist of CITES Species CITES, WCMC url p. 133, p. 217.
• Checklist of CITES Species: a reference to the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES url p. 105, p. 212, p. 142, p. 227.
• Checklist of mammals listed in the CITES appendices JNCC url p. 21.
• Global Biodiversity: status of the Earth's living resources WCMC url p. 381.
• IUCN Directory of Neotropical Protected Areas IUCN url p. 100, p. 292, p. 294, p. 66, p. 67, p. 68, p. 69, p. 88, p. 96, p. 97, p. 99.
• Industrial reliance on biodiversity. WCMC Biodiversity Series 7 WCMC url p. 45.
• Journal of ethnobiology. 20 2000 Flagstaff, Ariz.: Center for Western Studies, 1981- url p. 19, p. 22, p. 30.
• Naturalist's guide to the Americas, prepared by the Committee on the Preservation of Natural Conditions of the Ecological Society of America, with assistance from numerous organizations and individuals, assembled and edited by chairman, Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1926. url p. 659, p. 659, p. 663, p. 663.
• Olfaction and taste: proceedings of the first international symposium held at the Wenner-Gren Center, Stockholm, September 1962. Oxford; Symposium Publications Division, Pergamon Press, 1963. url p. 328.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 418.
• Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and financial report of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents for the year ending June 30. .. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1933-1965. url p. 101, p. 110, p. 114, p. 114, p. 119, p. 131, p. 138, p. 138, p. 141, p. 142, p. 142, p. 146, p. 156, p. 158, p. 75, p. 76.
• Smithsonian miscellaneous collections. 151 1966 Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1862-1968. url p. 62.
• Smithsonian scientific series. New York: Smithsonian Institution Series, Inc., [1929]-32. url p. 57.
• Smithsonian year. 1965 Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1965-1976. url p. 168, p. 259.
• Special scientific report--wildlife / U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C.: The Service, 1949- url p. 13.
• Studies in neotropical mammalogy: essays in honor of Philip Hershkovitz / edited by Bruce D. Patterson, Robert M. Timm. 39 1987 Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1987. url p. 232, p. 246, p. 248, p. 249, p. 40, p. 42.
• The Biological bulletin. Woods Hole, Mass.: Marine Biological Laboratory, url p. 354.
• The Ecology of arboreal folivores: a symposium held at the Conservation and Research Center, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, May 29-31, 1975 / Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1978. url p. 177, p. 178, p. 184.
• The IUCN Mammal Red Data Book. Part 1: threatened mammalian taxa of the Americas and the Australasian zoogeographic region (excluding Cetacea) IUCN url p. 154, p. 154, p. 163, p. 163.
• The Japanese role in wildlife trade: a review of the imports to Japan of Appendix II species previously identified as being traded at significant levels TRAFFIC Japan url p. 1, p. 11, p. 12.
• The anatomical record. [New York, etc.]A. R. Liss [etc.] url p. 278.
• Titis, new world monkeys of the genus Callicebus (Cebidae, Platyrrhini): a preliminary taxonomic review / Philip Hershkovitz. 55 1990 Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, c1990. url table 5 , fig. 3 , table 2 , fig. 16 , table 3 , p. 16, p. 21, p. 23, p. 27, p. 3, p. 30, p. 7, p. iv.
• World Checklist of Threatened Mammals JNCC url p. 30.
• Zoologica; scientific contributions of the New York Zoological Society. New York. url p. 225, p. 282.

Notes

Contributors

• Boubli, J.-P., Rylands, A.B., de la Torre, S. & Stevenson, P. 2008. Saimiri sciureus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 04February2012.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 18, 2007:

• Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
• Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Vertebrate specimens
• Marine Science Institute, UCSB, Paleobiology Database
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
• Royal Ontario Museum, Mammal specimens
• University of Washington Burke Museum, Mammal Specimens

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 1
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-180095
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13853423
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 180095
• IUCN ID: 240372
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 130354

Footnotes

1. Mean = 635.600 meters (2,085.302 feet), Standard Deviation = 889.680 based on 35 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
2. Boubli, J.-P., Rylands, A.B., de la Torre, S. & Stevenson, P. 2008. Saimiri sciureus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 February 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.