Douroucouli

Douroucouli, common name for a small South American monkey, also known as durukuli, night monkey, owl monkey, and aotus. It is the only monkey that feeds at night and sleeps during the day.

The douroucouli lives in rain forests from Panama through Paraguay and northern Argentina. Like other animals that are active at night, or nocturnal, the douroucouli has large eyes that are extremely sensitive to light but lack the ability to see color.

The douroucouli is about 35 cm (about 14 in) long, not including the bushy tail, which almost doubles the overall length. Both males and females weigh about 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) and are similar in appearance, with thick, gray-brown coats and lighter, sometimes orange underparts. The douroucouli has a wide nose with nostrils that point out to the sides. Its large eyes and round, flat face give it an owlish appearance. Thick white patches above its eyes make it appear alert even when napping. The name douroucouli is an imitation of one of its 50 different vocal sounds. The monkey’s piercing alarm shriek is amplified by an inflatable air pouch under the chin.

Douroucoulis feed at night, usually in pairs, eating fruit, leaves, and insects. By day, douroucoulis sleep together in small family groups within tree hollows, often with their tails intertwined. The mating season is not well-defined, so mating and birth may occur at any time of year, typically with a single offspring born five months after mating. The father shares in care of the young, often carrying the young on its back. Offspring remain in the family group for about six years.

One douroucouli species is designated as an endangered species by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The destruction of the douroucouli’s native rain forest habitat is the most serious long-term threat to its survival.

Scientific classification: The douroucouli belongs to the monkey family, Cebidae, in the Primate order. All douroucoulis were once classified as Aotus trivirgatus, but nine other species of this monkey are now recognized. The endangered douroucouli is classified as Aotus lemurinus griseimembra.