Red-Bellied Titi Monkey

Facts about Red-Bellied titi monkey. "Scientific name for Red-Bellied titi is monkey Callicebus moloch". The Red-bellied Titi or the Dusky Titi is a species of Titi monkey that has unique and distinct features. The Red-Bellied titi monkey is generally grey but has a red belly. It is mostly found in dense forests and thickets of South America. Its diet is made up of fruits from the wild, insects, spiders, small birds and bird's eggs.

It leads a diurnal lifestyle and lives in pairs or family groups that help it to establish its territory. The Red-Bellied titi monkey stay in groups that are made up of two to four individuals. In each group there is usually an adult male and an adult female. The young Red-Bellied titi monkey individuals leave the group when they are two to three years old. The males are the ones responsible for taking care of the young ones. The Red-Bellied titi monkey protect them from danger and carry them around. The females on the other hand are responsible for grooming and nursing the young ones. During rest, this Red-Bellied titi monkey adopts a posture where its whole body is usually in a curled position, its limbs placed close together and the tail hanging down

The male Red-Bellied titi monkey are generally bigger than the females. A male can weigh between 850-1200 grams (1 .87-2.265 lbs.) while a female usually weighs 700-1020 grams (1 .54-2.25 lbs.). The entire body of the Red-Bellied titi monkey is about 11 to 15 3/8 inches (28 to 39 cm) long and the tail which is longer than the body measures 13 to 19 1/4 inches (33 to 49 cm) in length. The monkey has large eyes that are hardly seen as they are covered with fur. It has a rounded head and a thick soft coat covering its entire body.

Their ears have a helical margin, usually pulled upward and backwards. The Red-Bellied titi monkey have rolled anterior superior margins. The Red-Bellied titi monkey have small, lobulated tragus and antitragus that are equal in size. Their palm consists of 2 elongated central pads; one is hypothenar pad and the other thenar pad.

The Red-Bellied titi monkey are also known to form strong relationships. The Red-Bellied titi monkey move everywhere together and intertwine their tails whenever they get the chance.

Territories are important to the the Red-Bellied titi monkey and they usually send out loud vocal calls to mark their territory and scare away opponents or intruders near their territory. The Red-Bellied titi monkey spend most of their days grooming and playing, and sleep at night.

Visual signals that the Red-Bellied titi monkey send by use of postures and facial expressions have many meanings depending on what they do. Some of these postures include; swaying the entire body, turning the head sideways and lowering the head to face down. Arching its body backwards is usually a sign of hostility, in most cases this is usually followed by an attack. Just like other Titis, the Red-Bellied titi monkey have several facial expressions that are used to mean different things. Some of these facial expressions include; partly or completely closing the eyes, protrusion of the lips and baring of teeth (usually followed by smacking of the lips). The Red-bellied Titis have complex social interaction and all their signs and facial expressions are important means of communication.

The Red-Bellied titi monkey inhabit the lower and denser parts of tropical forests. They are mostly found along rivers and on the river banks.