Callicebus torquatus
yellow-handed titi

Yellow-handed titis are found in lowland forests around the Amazon, Orinoco, Rio Maranon, and Guianas rivers in the northern part of their range, and south to the Rio Puru. (Macdonald, 2001)

Yellow-handed titis are found in tall, mature, un-flooded forests. They prefer forests on nutrient-deficient, white sand soils. (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999)

Yellow-handed titis have reddish brown to black fur covering most of their bodies, white marks on their faces, black legs, feet, and forearms, buff-colored hands, and brown to black non-prehensile tails. They are the biggest of all Callicebus species, with a head-body length of 339 mm and a tail length of 460 mm. In some parts of their range rare individuals have a reduction in melanin pigment, creating a creamish colored fur. (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999; Macdonald, 2001)

Yellow-handed titis are apparently monogamous, travelling as a bonded pair with their offspring up to three years old. (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999)

General reproduction information is difficult to find for yellow-handed titis. In the related species, dusky titis (C. moloch), one young is born at about 70 grams, with births in the wild occurring from December to April. Gestation length in dusky titis is 5 to 6 months, and young are nursed for 12 to 16 weeks. Dusky titis have an interbirth interval of one year. (Nowak, 1999)

Males of species in the genus Callicebus are reported to lead group movements, searching for food, and often care for infants when they aren't nursing from their mothers. Information specific to yellow-handed titis is not available. (Nowak, 1999)

No information on the longevity of yellow-handed titis in the wild or in captivity was found.

Yellow-handed titis are diurnal and arboreal rainforest primates. The majority of their feeding time is in the early morning, by the middle of the day they have a long resting session. After that they have another feeding period followed by a search for a sleeping tree before dusk. Territorial groups of two to seven members are led by an adult male. That adult male leads all group movements, carries infants when they are not nursing, and searches for food trees. (Nowak, 1999)

Callicebus torquatus has a home range of nearly 20 hectares. (Nowak, 1999)

Callicebus species use a wide variety of vocalizations and visual signals for communication. Individuals also intertwine their tails when they sit side by side. Like most mammals, chemical signals are also important, helping to identify individuals and reproductive states. (Nowak, 1999)

Yellow-handed titis eat mainly fruits and seeds, although they will also eat leaves and insects. About 70% of feeding time is spent on eating or finding fruits and seeds. Troop members almost always eat the same foods at the same food trees. Feeding bouts occur 2 to 5 times a day, usually in the morning, late morning, and afternoon. (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999; Kinzey, 1977)

No information on predators of yellow-handed titis was found. Masked titis (C. personatus), a closely related species, is preyed on by birds of prey, felids, and snakes. (Muller, et al., 1997)

Yellow-handed titis help to disperse seeds of the fruits that they eat. They may also be important prey for some predators.

Yellow-handed titis are important members of their forest ecosystems, helping to maintain tree regeneration through seed dispersal. They may also help to attract ecotourism money to local areas.

There are no adverse effects of yellow-handed titis on humans.

Yellow-handed titis are listed on CITES Appendix II list and are considered Least Concern by the IUCN. The greatest threat to these monkeys is habitat destruction. (Nowak, 1999)