Coppery Titi
Plecturocebus cupreus

 All about Coppery Titis

Coppery Titis have a thick coat of reddish-brown fur covering all their bodies except their faces. Unlike other neotropical primates, their tails are not prehensile, and are longer than their bodies. Their coloring helps in camouflaging them from predators. Equipped with long tails, strong feet, and sharp claws, the Coppery Titi is well adapted to life in the trees making them an arboreal species. The tail serves as a balance when the titi climbs trees and as a rudder when it jumps from tree to tree. Titis use their tail as a flag to communicate social signals often entwining it with tails of family members with whom they are socially bonded. Males and females are similar in size and are about a foot long with long tails. They weigh around two pounds. Coppery Titis are diurnal and are active by day.

 

Habitat/ Range/Diet

Coppery Titis are endemic to Peru and Brazil in South America and are found in dense tropical Amazonian rainforests from Peru across to east Brazil. Like other neotropical primates, Coppery Titis are largely frugivorous and spend almost 75% of their time sourcing trees and feeding on fruit. They also feed on insects.

 

Behavior

Coppery Titis are highly social, living in groups that consist of an adult pair and their young from several generations. They are highly communicative and emit an assortment of vocalizations from squeaks, trills, whistles, screams, and screams. In the wild, the adult pair are known to duet every morning. Family members are closely bonded and intertwine tails when they rest together. Coppery titis have a highly advanced sense of smell that they use to communicate with family members especially during breeding season. They scent mark the boundaries of their territories, thus sharing significant information with their family members and with Titis belonging to neighboring family groups. Titis display of Aggressive behavior by shaking their bodies and heads, lashing their tails, and swaying. Coppery Titis also display anti-predator mobbing behavior where the whole group encircle the predator and alarm call while moving around, shaking their bodies and heads, lashing their tails, and swaying.

 

Reproduction

Coppery Titis form long term bonds and live together with their partners for several generations of young. One infant is born every year between November and March. The young are weaned when they are about four months old. Males are the primary care givers and predominantly take care of the infants. They commence their parental role a few hours after the infant is born, carrying them around and protecting them. The female’s only parental care role is nursing the infant.

 

Conservation/Status

According to the World Conservation Union, Coppery Titis are only found in a remote region of the Amazonian rainforest that is isolated because of which, they are not considered to be under any immediate threat.