Primate Diversity of Panama
The FCPP use
different taxonomic referential books to establish a neutral criteria between each information resource. The
classification of species is complex and change often, reason by which some
scientific names can vary depending of the scientific criteria. The classification of the Vertebrates Museum
of the University of Panama and FCPP follow the reference of Mammals of the
World book, edited by Wilson et al., 2005.
However, we also consider relevant another references for New World
Primates, like the Action Plan for Mesoamerican Primates (1996), wrote by the
Primates Specialist Group and the International Union of Conservation Nature
(IUCN), edited by Ernesto Rodríguez Luna, Liliana Cortés-Ortiz, Russel
Mittermeier and Anthony Rylands. In this resource, the Panamanians biologist
Jacobo Arauz and Ariel Rodriguez did a special contribution to obtain an idea
about the distribution of each subspecies of Panamanian Primates. Maps and references of other sites were
evaluated and facilitated by Professor Felix Nunez from the University of
Panama. Recent information about each
Panamanian taxa will be published soon in the All the World Primates book,
edited by Noel Rowe, where FCPP is contributing with history and taxonomic
information as well biology and conservation status of seven subspecies from
the 13 that Panama has. Classification
criteria are based in pelage coloration, body size, skull morphometry, bones
measurements, dental formula, vocalization patterns, group size, group
structure, DNA, between others.
The world species classification is of huge importance to help to identify unknown species or species in high risk of extinction. International institutions uncharged to evaluate the conservation status of all the world species are the IUCN and the Convention on International Treade in Endangered Species (CITES), but those are in need of direct information from different countries to obtain a realistic overview about their status. Some classification criteria used in the past have been controversial after the innovative use of DNA. Thus, the criteria related with taxonomy have been reevaluated and some of them have created polemic issues between taxonomists.
In the following list, FCPP present all the subspecies of non-human primates from Panama, categorized in conservation urgency order. Most of the pictures correspond to the real animal observed in the wild by FCPP personnel. Other pictures have been donated by friend scientists that had visited Panama.
Photo: Pedro Méndez-Carvajal at the Florida Museum of Natural History, reviewing the primate’s collection, September, 2007.
The world species classification is of huge importance to help to identify unknown species or species in high risk of extinction. International institutions uncharged to evaluate the conservation status of all the world species are the IUCN and the Convention on International Treade in Endangered Species (CITES), but those are in need of direct information from different countries to obtain a realistic overview about their status. Some classification criteria used in the past have been controversial after the innovative use of DNA. Thus, the criteria related with taxonomy have been reevaluated and some of them have created polemic issues between taxonomists.
In the following list, FCPP present all the subspecies of non-human primates from Panama, categorized in conservation urgency order. Most of the pictures correspond to the real animal observed in the wild by FCPP personnel. Other pictures have been donated by friend scientists that had visited Panama.
Photo: Pedro Méndez-Carvajal at the Florida Museum of Natural History, reviewing the primate’s collection, September, 2007.
1) Azuero Spider Monkey
With only 145 individuals remaining
in the last vegetation left in Azuero Peninsula south region(Méndez-Carvajal
& Ruiz-Bernard, 2009). It was identified in 1937 as Ateles
azuerensis, in Rio La Vaca, Coto Region, Chiriqui, however it has lost
almost 90% of their original distribution being at the border to be extinct.
The FCPP is monitoring its groups every year and keep environmental education
in some areas of Azuero, but we need more funds to cover more areas and find
more groups not sighted yet. It is considered a subspecies of the red
spider monkey, its scientific name is Ateles geoffroyi azuerensis.
Foto: Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal
Foto: Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal
2) Azuero Howler Monkey
With only 3000 individuals, it is a subspecies from the Azuero region
(Méndez-Carvajal, 2009). It is still surviving around the farms and
cattle ranches in Azuero Peninsula, but hunting activities and deforestation
are exterminating this endemic subspecies and is now considered critically
endangered. The FCPP is leading an annual survey and environmental
education activities in some regions in Azuero, to keep protecting this
primate. It is considered as a subspecies of the Coiba howler monkey, its
scientific name is Alouatta coibensis trabeata.
Foto: Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal
Foto: Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal
3) Squirrel Monkey
This is a subspecies that lack of direct observational studies.
However it has been evaluated hypothetically with around 4,755 individuals
remaining in the wild, in at least 10 zones in the west part of Chiriquí
Province (Rodríguez-Vargas, 2003). It is considered as Critically
Endangered due to the high deforestation and pets trade activity. Some
conservational efforts have been done by the Waligora family which are
organizing a sanctuary for this primate at the Barqueta region in Chiriquí.
The FCPP will be starting a campaign to find biologist students from
Panama that could be interested to help these primates to do not disappear for
ever. It is scientifically classified as Saimiri oerstedii
oerstedii.
Foto: Cortesía de Ariel Rodríguez
Foto: Cortesía de Ariel Rodríguez
4) Hooded Spider Monkey
It was identified as endemic subspecies of Panama, living in a small
section of the Tuira River, Chepigana, Darien Province in 1866. There is
no study for this animal since its discovery. FCPP consider that it is
necessary to find them to keep running studies related with its survivorship
and actual population. It is considered still alive since the area where
this primate was reported is the most forested area in our country, reflecting
the importance of keeps the Darien forest. Its scientific name is Ateles
geoffroyi grisescens.
5) Darien Black Spider Monkey
This is an endemic monkey to Panama and Colombia, with distribution
range from the central east Panama Province, Darien Province to the Colombian
Choco. The FCPP has been counting these primates for the first time in
2008 at the Chucanti Natural Reserve in the Maje mountain chain, Darien
Province. This primate is declining in some areas of Darien due to the
hunting activity and the high destruction of their habitat. Its
scientific name is Ateles fusciceps rufiventris.
Foto: Cortesía de Alba Lucía Morales Jiménez, Primatóloga Colombiana
Foto: Cortesía de Alba Lucía Morales Jiménez, Primatóloga Colombiana
6) Coiba Howler Monkey
This is an endemic Panamanian monkey, specifically unique from CoibaI
sland and Jicaron. It has been little studied since 1977 when it was briefly
described by its group characterization. Actually the FCPP is monitoring its
population for the first time with the objective of calculating the actual
amount of howlers living in the island and study some social structural
parameters and behavior specifically for Coiba howlers. It is one of the few
howler populations living in a real continental island. It is considered
as Vulnerable and its scientific name is Alouatta coibensis coibensis.
Foto: Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal
Foto: Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal
7) Panamanian Red Spider Monkey
Has been poorly studied in Panama, excepting for some studies carried
out in Barro Colorado Island Natural Monument, where there are 22 individuals
actually living into the island. They are found trough the entire
northern Caribean coast of Costa Rica to Darien, in interrupted forest,
including Portobelo National Park, San Blas, and the Alto Chagres National Park
. Their threats are the high deforestation and hunt activity. The FCPP is
planning to incorporate this subspecies in the annual surveys to obtain
realistic information about their actual conservation status in Panama.
These monkeys are considered as Critically Endangered to Extinction.
Their scientific name is Ateles geoffroyi panamensis.
8) Tamarin Monkey
They are originally found at Cocle Province to Panama City, Colon, Darien,
San Blas trough the western part of Colombia. They appear reported in
some areas out to their original range due to the translocation that they
suffer by workers from Darien that bring this animals in illegally way to
Azuero Peninsula and other western parts of Panama. The capture as
pets and the introduction of these monkeys to non-adaptable zones for their
survivorship has caused them death and captivity in deplorable
conditions. They are in high risk thanks to their small size and cute
behavior, they are prey of hunters who kill their mothers to get the babies and
sell them as pet. There are few studies about its populations and they
are classified as Endangered. The Wilson et al., 2005 book is mentioning
its distribution reaching the Costa Rica and Panama frontier, however this
could be a misunderstanding resulting to the similar local name that this
subspecies has with the Chirican titi, from Chiriqui and Costa Rica (Saimiri
oerstedii). They are one of the few monkeys that are victim of the lack
of caution of the high speed drivers that cross the Natural Parks streets
without any care, hitting those tities when they intent to cross from one
border to another. They are classified as Saguinus geoffroyi
9) Western Capuchin Monkey
This monkey is located from Costa Rica to the western-central Panama,
declining in its population amount due to the hunting activity as they are
associated with damages in farm activities. This monkey is poorly studied
and the only long-term studies have been done in BarroColoradoIsland, in
Panama. However, they real situation is probably getting them to be partially
extinct if an environmental education plan is not developed around the farm
community. The FCPP has included this Primate to the annual counts for those
populations living into Azuero Peninsula, and Coiba Island and also
environmental education have been started to keep tracking those groups.
It is scientifically named as Cebus capucinus imitator.
Foto: Cortesía de Joaquín Franco.
Foto: Cortesía de Joaquín Franco.
10) Owl Monkey
This monkey have been considered the real nocturnal monkey of all the
Primates, as this is into de Anthropoid list, contrary to the Lemurs which are
still Prosimian even with nocturnal activity. They have been utilized for
biomedical projects by the Gorgas Commemorative Institute since the Panama
Canal creation. FCPP started in 2011 the first project related to the distribution and actual population of this species, including also circadian activity in the Panama Canal Zone. Its scientific name is Aotus zonalis.
Foto: Cortesía de Samuel Valdes-Díaz
Foto: Cortesía de Samuel Valdes-Díaz
11) Eastern Capuchin Monkey
This monkey is located from the Panama Canal eastern side trough the
forest found in the Pacific and Caribean coast, as well mountain chain of Alto
Chagres, Darien to passing Panama until Colombia territory. Thanks to its
distribution in the east part of Panama, this monkey was considered well
protected due to the good forest connection. However, recently migration of
people from the western Panama have been threaded their habitat. This
animal has no further studies and there are only one study by the FCPP in the
Chucanti mountain zone, where we evaluated a population density of 2
individuals/km² and groups average of 6 ind/group. This primate is
scientifically classified as Cebus capucinus capucinus.
Foto: Cortesía de Joaquín Franco
Foto: Cortesía de Joaquín Franco
12) Western Mantled Howler Monkey
Is a monkey with a wide distribution, present in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western side of Panama until the Panama Canal watershed. It is considered as well conserved for the central mountain chain and the western canal watershed, but it is possible that could be vulnerable for those areas close to the town of Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro and Veraguas provinces. There are few studies for these Primates by the students of the Chiriqui University. The FCPP is planning to carry on more efforts to keep monitoring and help conserving these Primates. Its scientific name is Alouatta palliata palliata.
Foto: Cortesía de Isis Ochoa
13) Eastern Mantled Howler Monkey
Is the most studied subspecies in Panama, but only for the Panama Canal
Zone and BarroColoradoIsland. It is distributed from the Panama Canal,
Chagres, Darien and San Blas, to Colombia and Ecuador. It has been
reported hunted in some non protected areas that claim further studies for the
areas out side to the reserves and national parks. It has been used long
time ago as protein resource for the American Army and Defense Forces of Panama
as military practices to survive at the Panamanian jungle. There is no
idea how many monkeys were killed for this trainings. It has been partially
extinct in some areas of eastern Panama. Its scientific name is Alouatta
palliata aequatorialis.
Foto: Cortesía de Isis Ochoa
Foto: Cortesía de Isis Ochoa