Black-fronted titi monkey  (Callicebus nigrifrons)

The black-fronted titi monkey is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix II of CITES (4).

The black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons) is a small New World monkey with a black face, forehead and ears (5). The black fur fades into long, soft, orange-brown or brown fur on the rest of the head and on the back (2) (5). The throat and chest of the black-fronted titi monkey are pale brown, and the hands and feet are black (5).

The tail of the black-fronted titi monkey is orange or rusty-brown (5), and is as long as the body (2). Unlike in many other monkeys, the tail is not prehensile (2) (6).

The black-fronted titi monkey is found only in south-eastern Brazil, in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (1).

An inhabitant of the Atlantic forest, the black-fronted titi monkey favours the lower levels of the canopy. It occurs in both mature and fragmented parts of the rainforest (1).

Not much is known about the biology of the black-fronted titi monkey, but inferences can be made from what is known about other closely related titi monkeys. Titi monkeys typically live in small family groups, comprising a monogamous adult pair with their offspring (6) (7). The adult female gives birth to a single offspring between August and October (8), after a gestation period of five to six months (9). Juvenile titi monkeys reach adult size within ten months (7).

The black-fronted titi monkey is active during the day and spends most, if not all, of its time in the tree canopy (7). It moves along horizontal branches using all four limbs, as well as leaping between trees (10).

The black-fronted titi monkey feeds primarily on fruit, but will also eat small amounts of leaves, flowers and seeds (11). While foraging, the family group communicates using both visual and vocal signals as the male leads the group to suitable feeding areas (7).

Titi monkeys are territorial and guard their territories through vocalisations and through chasing away any unwanted intruders (7). At night, titi monkeys rest in a specially selected sleeping tree in order to gain protection from predators (7).

As an inhabitant of one of the most developed and populous regions of Brazil, the black-fronted titi monkey is, unsurprisingly, threatened by habitat loss (1).

Expanding agriculture, urbanization and logging practices have fragmented the black-fronted titi monkey’s forest habitat, resulting in its extinction from some areas and leaving the remaining individuals restricted to small, isolated populations (1) (5).

Populations of the black-fronted titi monkey reside in a number of protected areas, including the Serra do Mar reserve complex, the Área de Proteção Ambiental and, remarkably, in the Cantareira State Park situated in the centre of São Paulo city (1).

The black-fronted titi monkey is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that international trade in this monkey should be carefully controlled (4).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Learn about conservation in the Atlantic forest:

• Conservation International: Biodiversity Hotspots - Atlantic Forest:
  http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/atlantic_forest/Pages/default.aspx
• Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA):
  http://www.regua.co.uk/
• SOS Mata Atlântica:
  http://www.sosmatatlantica.org.br/
• World Land Trust - The Atlantic Rainforest:
  http://www.worldlandtrust.org/projects/brazil.htm
• WWF - Atlantic Forests:
  http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/atlantic_forests.cfm