|
Things To Do -
Land Activities
|
General Info:
The squirrel monkey (saimiri oerstedi citrinellus), commonly
known in Costa Rica as the Mono Titi, is an endemic primate native to Costa
Rica's central Pacific coast. It belongs to a genus of monkeys (Saimiri)
found throughout the Amazon Basin and in the Pacific lowlands of Costa
Rica and Panama. The squirrel monkeys that live in Manuel Antonio
National Park and surrounding areas are the only members of its
sub-species left in all the world.
Costa Rica’s squirrel
monkeys have shown a great ability to adapt to changing environments.
Their habitat has been on the decline for years. Found in both primary
and secondary growth forests, they are omnivorous, eating mostly
insects and insect larvae complimented by small fruits.
Behavior:
They
rarely descend to the ground, which means that fragmented forests
isolate populations. Increased development has led to the decline of
habitat and has isolated forests. There are no biological corridors to
allow the squirrel monkey to breed with other troops and interbreeding
weakens the populations.
Status in the Wild:
In the Manuel Antonio
area, there are only a few troops of squirrel monkey left, with no more
than 1500 individuals remaining within their natural range.
Back to Top
|
