Peruvian night monkey
The Peruvian night monkey (Aotus miconax), also known as the Andean night monkey, is a nocturnal New World monkey endemic to northern Peru. Adults weigh around 1 kg (2.2 lb) and measure up to 50 cm (20 in) in length. Its colour is grey to light brown with characteristic black and white markings on the face. The chest, belly and upper arms are orange tinged, however, to a lesser extent then Aotus nigriceps.
| Peruvian night monkey | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Aotidae |
| Genus: | Aotus |
| Species: | A. miconax |
| Binomial name | |
| Aotus miconax Thomas, 1927 | |
| Peruvian night monkey range | |
The species is one of the least known and possibly rarest Neotropical primates. This species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN and endangered under Peruvian Law.
The Peruvian night monkey is also one of the least studied of all primates. The only data that exists about this species are museum specimens, sighting records and very basic ecological information. The species is thought to inhabit areas of cloud forest at 900–2,800 m (3,000–9,200 ft) above sea level in the departments of Amazonas, Huanuco and San Martin, and in border regions of neighboring departments.