First record of twins in wild black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62015/np.2024.v30.790Keywords:
Atelidae, Latin America, multiple-birth, Paraguay, reproductionAbstract
Twinning is a rare occurrence in non-callitrichid wild primates. Here we report an observation of twins in wild black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya). In May 2023 an adult female howler monkey was observed carrying twin infants that had been born the night before. The female was observed for 5 hours on the first day after birth. Both infants were observed to change positions on their mother frequently during their first day of life. Through long-term monitoring of the group, we additionally can report the twins both survived their first year of life, longer than found in previous records of twins in other Alouatta species.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Rachel V. Taylor, Mikel Redin Hurtado, Matthew T Owen, Rebecca L Smith
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