La fauna de la Orinoquia

La típica fauna orinoquense, está representada en la literatura y la tradición por los animales que han sido más evidentes al ojo o al oído humanos, o los que con mayor frecuencia figuran en los cuentos, leyendas y temores de la gente, o aquellos que son el blanco más frecuente de. la caza para consumo. Los más conocidos y fácilmente observados en los Llanos Orientales incluyen el venado sabanero |(Odocoileusvirginianus), el chigüiro(Hydróchaeris hydrochaeris), y la corocora roja |(Eudocimusruber). La fauna orinoquense abarca también a uno de los animales con la vocalización más poderosa del reino animal como lo es el araguato o mono cotudo |(Alouattaseniculus) qué puede ser escuchado a varios kilómetros de distancia, |o las diversas especies de guacamayas (Am spp.), cuyas bandadas rompen el silencio de la mañana al dirigirse a sus habituales lugares de alimentación o al atardecer cuando regresan a sus dormideros. También comprende varios animales que se consideran peligrosos para los humanos, como el tigre |(Panthera onca), el güío negro o anaconda |(Eunectes murinus), el caimán del Orinoco |(Crocodylus intermedius) y la cuatronarices |(Bothropsatrox). Por ser las más evidentes y vistosas, las aves son tal vez el grupo de vertebrados que mayor simpatía despierta en el público en general. Igualmente es el grupo de más alta diversidad dentro de los vertebrados, ya que puede superar el millar de especies y subespecies. Esta es la región natural que contiene un mayor porcentaje de la avifauna nacional; no obstante, su estado de conservación deja mucho que desear y los cambios introducidos al medio ambiente, por el desordenado e inconsciente desarrollo agrícola y pecuario, han reducido notablemente las poblaciones de diversas especies y puesto en duda la. supervivencia regional de otras, cuya distribución natural ha tenido en los Llanos una importante zona de alimentación en sus habituales y obligadas rutas de migración transcontinental o regional

Zoonimia y vernácula en Yucuna

Se presenta una lista de nombres vernáculos de animales en lengua Yucuna de la región del bajo río Caquetá, Mirití-Paraná, bajo río Apaporis (Departamentos de Amazonas y Vaupés, Colombia), con sus correspondientes binomios científicos. Se incluyen 274 nombres para 218 animales de la región.A glossary of animal names in the Yucuna language from the region of the lower Caquetá river, Mirití-Paraná and the lower Apaporis river (Amazonas and Vaupés departments, Colombia) is presented along with their scientifie binomials. The list includes 274 names and variations for 218 animals of the region

Riqueza, endemismo y conservación de los mamíferos de Colombia

We update the list of Colombian mammal species based upon a new revision of specimens in the major collections within and outside the country and a compilation of recent taxonomic changes of species present in the country. The result of these changes is a total of 492 native species, which represents a net increment of 62 species with respect to the previous list published in the year 2000, and this exceeds similar updates in other Neotropical countries. Although the level of knowledge differs greatly between groups, we provide some general indicators, as diversity on the level of orders, endemism, patterns of distribution, and conservation state. The greatest species richness occurs in the orders Chiroptera (198 spp.) and Rodentia (122 spp.), but there are 23 endemic species of rodents in contrast to only seven endemic bats. According to the nature and scale of the evaluations, between 39 (MAVDT) and 52 (IUCN) species of Colombian mammals are considered to be endangered. The major threats are still deforestation, hunting and illegal commerce

The influence of landscape relative to site and patch variables on primate distributions in the Colombian Llanos

Context: Primates are an important component of biodiversity in tropical regions. However, many studies on the effects of habitat change on primates ignore the relative influence of landscape composition and configuration. Objectives: This study addresses the question: how important are landscape-scale forest area and composition relative to patch-scale (1–1080\ua0ha) and site-scale (transect of 1\ua0km) habitat variables for the occupancy and abundance of four primate species in the Colombian Llanos. Methods: Using a randomly stratified survey design, 81 fragments were surveyed for primate occupancy and abundance. We used zero-inflated models to test the relative influence of landscape-scale, patch-scale and site-scale variables on occupancy and abundance for each species. A 95% confidence set of models was constructed using the cumulative Akaike weight for each model and the relative importance of each set of variables calculated for each primate species. Results: Occupancy was determined by a combination of site-scale, patch-scale and landscape-scale variables but this varied substantially among the primate species. Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of managing primates at a range of scales that considers the relative importance of site-, patch- and landscape-scale variables

Terrestrial behavior in titi monkeys (Callicebus, Cheracebus, and Plecturocebus) : potential correlates, patterns, and differences between genera

For arboreal primates, ground use may increase dispersal opportunities, tolerance to habitat change, access to ground-based resources, and resilience to human disturbances, and so has conservation implications. We collated published and unpublished data from 86 studies across 65 localities to assess titi monkey (Callicebinae) terrestriality. We examined whether the frequency of terrestrial activity correlated with study duration (a proxy for sampling effort), rainfall level (a proxy for food availability seasonality), and forest height (a proxy for vertical niche dimension). Terrestrial activity was recorded frequently for Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but rarely for Cheracebus spp. Terrestrial resting, anti-predator behavior, geophagy, and playing frequencies in Callicebus and Plecturocebus spp., but feeding and moving differed. Callicebus spp. often ate or searched for new leaves terrestrially. Plecturocebus spp. descended primarily to ingest terrestrial invertebrates and soil. Study duration correlated positively and rainfall level negatively with terrestrial activity. Though differences in sampling effort and methods limited comparisons and interpretation, overall, titi monkeys commonly engaged in a variety of terrestrial activities. Terrestrial behavior in Callicebus and Plecturocebus capacities may bolster resistance to habitat fragmentation. However, it is uncertain if the low frequency of terrestriality recorded for Cheracebus spp. is a genus-specific trait associated with a more basal phylogenetic position, or because studies of this genus occurred in pristine habitats. Observations of terrestrial behavior increased with increasing sampling effort and decreasing food availability. Overall, we found a high frequency of terrestrial behavior in titi monkeys, unlike that observed in other pitheciids

Aportes citogenéticos en el esclarecimiento de la taxonomía del género Callicebus

Titulo en ingles:    Citogenetical approach to clarify the taxonomy of the genus CallicebusRESUMEN:   Los Callicebus son primates de tamaño pequeño (800-1.200g), ampliamente distribuidos en Suramérica. La taxonomía del género ha sido discutida por varios autores. Recientemente Defler (2004), basado en el trabajo de Hershkovitz (1990), reconoce para Colombia dos grupos de especies, Callicebus cupreus y Callicebus torquatus, con varias subespecies.Dada la alta variabilidad cariotípica en el género, los cariotipos constituyen un carácter sistemático importante. Amplias diferencias en los números cromosómicos, están bien correlacionadas con los grupos de especies descritos para el género basados en caracteres morfológicos y biogeográficos.Es característico de las especies del Grupo cupeus, números cromosómicos altos 2n= 44, para C.c.ornatus y 2n= 46 en C.c. discolor y C.c caquetensis, en tanto que las especies del grupo torquatus presentan números bajos (2n=16) para C.t lugens y 2n=20 en C.t lucifer, C.t torquatus y posiblemente C.t mendemi, especie muy poco conocida y aun no estudiada genéticamente.Basados en nuestros hallazgos citogenéticos en cultivos celulares de sangre periférica de 11 ejemplares de diferentes poblaciones de Callicebus, encontramos que los estudios cromosómicos son concordantes con los grupos y permiten diferenciar C.ornatus y C. discolor como especies independientes dentro del grupo cupreus. En el grupo torquatus, no se encontraron diferencias cromosómicas en ejemplares del trapecio amazónico C.t lucifer y un ejemplar de fenotipo “lugens” de Florencia, Caquetá (2n=20), ampliando la distribución de esta especie en el territorio colombiano. Aunque inicialmente, se sostuvo que C. lugens (2n=16) no estaba presente en Colombia, el hallazgo de un ejemplar en el Zoológico de Matecaña, sugiere fuertemente la presencia de esta especie en la cuenca colombiana del Orinoco, aunque esto debe ser confirmado mediante estudios de campo.Se discute el proceso de evolución cromosómica en los procesos de especiación en este género de primates, monógamos y territoriales, y se proponen algunas hipótesis sobre los procesos de especiación en este grupo.Palabras Clave: Cariotipo, Evolución cromosómica, Callicebus, Cito taxonomía, Colombia.ABSTRACT:   The Callicebus are small primates (800-1,200 g) amply distributed in South America. The taxonomy of the genus has been discussed by various authors. Recently Defler (2004), based on work by Hershkovitz (1990) recognized two groups of species in Colombia: Callicebus cupreus and Callicebus torquatus.Because of high karyotypic variability in the genus, karyotypes constitute an important systematic character. Wide differences in chromosome number are well-correlated with species groups that have been described for the genus based on morphological and biogeographical characteristics.Characteristic of the species in the cupreus group are high chromosome numbers (2n=44 for C. c. ornatus and 2n=46 for C. c. discolor and C. c. caquetensis). In contrast, the C. torquatus species group has low chromosome numbers (2n=16 for C. lugens and 2n=20 for Callicebus torquatus and C. t.  lucifer and possibly C. t. medemi which has not yet been studied genetically).Based on our cytogenetic finds from cell cultures from 11 specimens from different populations of Callicebus, we have found that our karyological data are concordant with the species groups and permit us to differentiate C. ornatus, C. caquetensis and C. discolor as independent species in the cupreus group. In the torquatus group there were no detectable differences between a “lugens” phenotype from Florencia, Caquetá and a C. t. lucifer from the Colombian trapezium (both were 2n=20), increasing the distribution of the species with that karyotype in the Colombian Amazon.Although initially we supposed that C. lugens (2n=16) was not present in the Colombian Amazon, the discovery of a C. lugens (2n=16) in the Matacaña Zoo strongly suggests the presence of this species in the Colombian Orinoco, although this must be confirmed with field studies.Based on our results a discussion of the evolutionary process in chromosomes is presented for this monogamous, territorial primate genus and some hypotheses regarding the evolution of this group are proposed.Key Words: karyotype, chromosome evolution, Callicebus, cytotaxonomy.Titulo en ingles:    Citogenetical approach to clarify the taxonomy of the genus CallicebusRESUMEN:   Los Callicebus son primates de tamaño pequeño (800-1.200g), ampliamente distribuidos en Suramérica. La taxonomía del género ha sido discutida por varios autores. Recientemente Defler (2004), basado en el trabajo de Hershkovitz (1990), reconoce para Colombia dos grupos de especies, Callicebus cupreus y Callicebus torquatus, con varias subespecies.Dada la alta variabilidad cariotípica en el género, los cariotipos constituyen un carácter sistemático importante. Amplias diferencias en los números cromosómicos, están bien correlacionadas con los grupos de especies descritos para el género basados en caracteres morfológicos y biogeográficos.Es característico de las especies del Grupo cupeus, números cromosómicos altos 2n= 44, para C.c.ornatus y 2n= 46 en C.c. discolor y C.c caquetensis, en tanto que las especies del grupo torquatus presentan números bajos (2n=16) para C.t lugens y 2n=20 en C.t lucifer, C.t torquatus y posiblemente C.t mendemi, especie muy poco conocida y aun no estudiada genéticamente.Basados en nuestros hallazgos citogenéticos en cultivos celulares de sangre periférica de 11 ejemplares de diferentes poblaciones de Callicebus, encontramos que los estudios cromosómicos son concordantes con los grupos y permiten diferenciar C.ornatus y C. discolor como especies independientes dentro del grupo cupreus. En el grupo torquatus, no se encontraron diferencias cromosómicas en ejemplares del trapecio amazónico C.t lucifer y un ejemplar de fenotipo “lugens” de Florencia, Caquetá (2n=20), ampliando la distribución de esta especie en el territorio colombiano. Aunque inicialmente, se sostuvo que C. lugens (2n=16) no estaba presente en Colombia, el hallazgo de un ejemplar en el Zoológico de Matecaña, sugiere fuertemente la presencia de esta especie en la cuenca colombiana del Orinoco, aunque esto debe ser confirmado mediante estudios de campo.Se discute el proceso de evolución cromosómica en los procesos de especiación en este género de primates, monógamos y territoriales, y se proponen algunas hipótesis sobre los procesos de especiación en este grupo.Palabras Clave: Cariotipo, Evolución cromosómica, Callicebus, Cito taxonomía, Colombia.ABSTRACT:   The Callicebus are small primates (800-1,200 g) amply distributed in South America. The taxonomy of the genus has been discussed by various authors. Recently Defler (2004), based on work by Hershkovitz (1990) recognized two groups of species in Colombia: Callicebus cupreus and Callicebus torquatus.Because of high karyotypic variability in the genus, karyotypes constitute an important systematic character. Wide differences in chromosome number are well-correlated with species groups that have been described for the genus based on morphological and biogeographical characteristics.Characteristic of the species in the cupreus group are high chromosome numbers (2n=44 for C. c. ornatus and 2n=46 for C. c. discolor and C. c. caquetensis). In contrast, the C. torquatus species group has low chromosome numbers (2n=16 for C. lugens and 2n=20 for Callicebus torquatus and C. t.  lucifer and possibly C. t. medemi which has not yet been studied genetically).Based on our cytogenetic finds from cell cultures from 11 specimens from different populations of Callicebus, we have found that our karyological data are concordant with the species groups and permit us to differentiate C. ornatus, C. caquetensis and C. discolor as independent species in the cupreus group. In the torquatus group there were no detectable differences between a “lugens” phenotype from Florencia, Caquetá and a C. t. lucifer from the Colombian trapezium (both were 2n=20), increasing the distribution of the species with that karyotype in the Colombian Amazon.Although initially we supposed that C. lugens (2n=16) was not present in the Colombian Amazon, the discovery of a C. lugens (2n=16) in the Matacaña Zoo strongly suggests the presence of this species in the Colombian Orinoco, although this must be confirmed with field studies.Based on our results a discussion of the evolutionary process in chromosomes is presented for this monogamous, territorial primate genus and some hypotheses regarding the evolution of this group are proposed.Key Words: karyotype, chromosome evolution, Callicebus, cytotaxonomy

What do we know about the effect of patch size on primate species across life history traits?

Habitat loss and fragmentation are significant threats for primate species worldwide. However, few attempts have been made to look for general patterns in primate responses to habitat loss and fragmentation, or whether these may be associated with species’ traits. We conducted a review of published literature on effects of patch size to quantify the effect of a reduction in this predictor on primates, and to determine whether these effects depend on species’ traits. The effects of patch size on seven response variables (density, parasite prevalence and diversity, presence, genetic diversity, time spent feeding, resting and movement), were extracted from 135 papers and compared across six species traits (diet specialisation, social structure, body size, home range size, group size and dispersal ability). We found that density, parasitic prevalence and diversity and time spent feeding were positively associated with a reduction in patch size, while species’ presence and genetic diversity were negatively associated. Time spent resting and moving did not show clear patterns. We found little evidence that the effect of patch size varies consistently with traits. This study provides important evidence for the consistent effect of patch size on a range of factors that influence the dynamics of primate populations. However, there is a need to move beyond quantifying patch size effects alone and to quantify the effects of changes occurring at broader landscape scales. This would allow more holistic primate conservation strategies to be developed across whole landscapes rather than being focussed on the management of individual patches