Employing a predictive model, researchers have located two areas in need of protection to ensure the survival of Bolivia’s primate species. The study, published in Tropical Conservation Science, identified the potential distribution of Bolivia’s 22 primates and discovered two priority regions, one in the Pando Department with a number of rare primates, and the other in Western Beni, home to two primate species that live no-where else.
Home to a rich diversity of primates, the Pando department includes three species that are considered high in rarity: the pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), the emperor tamarin Saguinus imperator , and Goeldi’s monkey ( Callimico goeldii), which is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.
The western Beni region of Bolivia is important for saving two species that are endemic to Bolivia: the Olalla brothers’ titi (Callicebus olallae) which is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List and the Beni titi monkey (Callicebus modestus), also listed as Endangered.
In Bolivia the major threats facing primates are habitat loss and fragmentation, along with hunting and illegal trade.
Primates are one of the world’s most threatened animal groups. Currently, the IUCN Red List classifies nearly half (48 percent) of the world’s primates as threatened with extinction.
CITATION: Mercado N.I. and R.B. Wallace. 2010. >. Distribución de primates en Bolivia y areas prioritarias para su conservación.. Tropical Conservation Science Vol. 3 (2):200-217. Available online: www.tropicalconservationscience.org
The emperor tamarin. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.
The pygmy marmoset in Colombia. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.
Related articles
Humans push half of the world’s primates toward extinction, lemurs in particular trouble
(02/18/2010) Of the known 634 primate species in the world 48 percent are currently threatened with extinction, making mankind’s closes relatives one of the most endangered animal groups in the world. In order to bring awareness to the desperate state of primates, a new report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature highlights twenty-five primates in the most need of rapid conservation action. Compiled by 85 experts the report, entitled Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates, 2008–2010, includes six primates from Africa, eleven from Asia, three from Central and South America, and five from the island of Madagascar.
When it comes to Yellow Fever, conserving howler monkeys saves lives
(03/29/2010) Abundant and diverse wildlife help people in many ways: for example bees pollinate plants, birds and mammals disperse seeds, bats control pest populations, and both plants and animals have produced life-saving medicines and technological advances. But how could howler monkeys save people from a Yellow Fever outbreak? A new study in the open-access journal Tropical Conservation Science explores the link between howler monkeys, mosquitoes, and humans during a recent yellow fever outbreak in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
More research and conservation efforts needed to save Colombia’s monkeys
(03/29/2010) Approximately thirty monkey species inhabit the tropical forests of Colombia with at least five found no-where else in the world. A new review appearing the open access journal Tropical Conservation Science of Colombia’s primates finds that a number of these species, including some greatly endangered species, have been neglected by scientists. The researchers looked at over 3,500 studies covering over a century of research by primatologists.
