Leandro Jerusalinsky

Three stones for three seeds: natural occurrence of selective tool use by capuchins (Cebus libidinosus) based on an analysis of the weight of stones found at nutting sites

Capuchins (Cebus libidinosus) occupy areas of Caatinga in northeast Brazil. They consume the nuts of several species of difficult‐to‐open fruits (two species of Palmae and one species of Euphorbiacea) and are reported to use stones as hammers to crack open the nuts. This article describes the weight of hammers found on anvils and presumably used for nut‐cracking by individuals in two groups of wild unprovisioned capuchin monkeys. Hammer weights ranged from less than 200 to over 3 kg. Based on a correlation between the type of broken nuts found at a site and the stones present on anvils, there was evidence that hammer weight differed according to nut size. These findings are consistent with experimental data recently published by Visalberghi et al. [Current Biology 19, 2009, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.064] and indicate that capuchins are capable of choosing stones of appropriate weight to effectively use pounding tools in natural environments without interference from humans. Am. J. Primatol. 72:270–275, 2010.

On the occurrence of Cebus flavius (Schreber 1774) in the Caatinga, and the use of semi-arid environments by Cebus species in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte

Cebus flavius is a recently rediscovered species and a candidate for the 25 most endangered primate species list. It was hypothesized that the distribution of C. flavius was limited to the Atlantic Forest, while the occurrence of C. libidinosus in the Rio Grande do Norte (RN) Caatinga was inferred, given its occurrence in neighboring states. As a result of a survey in ten areas of the RN Caatinga, this paper reports on four Cebus populations, including the first occurrence of C. flavius in the Caatinga, and an expansion of the northwestern limits of distribution for the species. This C. flavius population may be a rare example of a process of geographic distribution retraction, and is probably the most endangered population of this species. New areas of occurrence of C. libidinosus are also described. Tool use sites were observed in association with reports of the presence of both capuchin species.

Preliminary Evaluation of the Conservation Status of Callicebus coimbrai Kobayashi & Langguth, 1999 in the Brazilian State of Sergipe

Abstract Endemic to the Atlantic forest of the Brazilian states of Sergipe and Bahia, Callicebus coimbrai survives in a highly fragmented landscape characterized by small remnants of forest in a matrix of plantations and pasture. First described only seven years ago, the species is still poorly known and, until the present study, had been recorded from only fifteen sites in Sergipe, in fragments of no less than 40 ha. Here, we report on a survey of the presumed range of the species in Sergipe, with the primary aims of identifying remnant populations and evaluating the influence of factors, such as fragment size, on survival. Populations of C. coimbrai were recorded through either sightings or response to playbacks of vocalizations at 30 of 147 sites surveyed (including 15 confirmed previously), and consistent reports from local residents were obtained at a further 46 localities. Six of the confirmed fragments were less than 20 ha, including one of only 3 ha. This indicates that the species is relatively tolerant of habitat fragmentation, and is able to survive in isolated forests of small size. Together with the growing number of known (and potential) populations, this tolerance is a positive factor for the long-term conservation of the species. However, based on the results of this survey, estimates of the total area of forest occupied by the species, and numbers remaining in the wild are only 100–150 km2 and 500–1,000 individuals, respectively. Clearly, this situation requires urgent measures, including the implementation of protected areas and provisions for metapopulation management.

Climate and land use changes will degrade the configuration of the landscape for titi monkeys in eastern Brazil

Land use changes have profound effects on populations of Neotropical primates, and ongoing climate change is expected to aggravate this scenario. The titi monkeys from eastern Brazil (Callicebus personatus group) have been particularly affected by this process, with four of the five species now allocated to threatened conservation status categories. Here, we estimate the changes in the distribution of these titi monkeys caused by changes in both climate and land use. We also use demographic-based, functional landscape metrics to assess the magnitude of the change in landscape conditions for the distribution predicted for each species. We built species distribution models (SDMs) based on maximum entropy for current and future conditions (2070), allowing for different global circulation models and contrasting scenarios of glasshouse gas concentrations. We refined the SDMs using a high-resolution map of habitat remnants. We then calculated habitat availability and connectivity based on home-range size and the dispersal limitations of the individual, in the context of a predicted loss of 10% of forest cover in the future. The landscape configuration is predicted to be degraded for all species, regardless of the climatic settings. This include reductions in the total cover of forest remnants, patch size and functional connectivity. As the landscape configuration should deteriorate severely in the future for all species, the prevention of further loss of populations will only be achieved through habitat restoration and reconnection to counteract the negative effects for these and several other co-occurring species.

The Urban Monkeys Program: A Survey of Alouatta clamitans in the South of Porto Alegre and Its Influence on Land use Policy between 1997 and 2007

Abstract: Endemic to the Atlantic Forest, the southern brown howler monkey, Alouatta clamitans, can still be found in forest fragments in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the south of Brazil. The Urban Monkeys Program (UMP) has been monitoring their numbers since 1994. Here we report on the results of the initial surveys carried out from 1994 to 1996 and discuss the variables that are determining the loss or survival of the howler monkey groups. We also examine how our results have influenced the politics of land use over the last ten years (1997–2007). Porto Alegre has an area of 47,630 ha. About 30% is a rural/urban matrix and the remainder is entirely urban. There are 44 hills in the municipality and all have been affected by human occupation and activities. We overlaid a grid on a map 1/50,000, with quadrates of 1 km2 divided into four quadrates of 500 m2 each. We surveyed all the quadrates that contained forest. The presence of howler monkeys was recorded by direct observation, the presence of feces, and by their vocalizations. Complementary information was obtained by talking to the local people. We used a field protocol to record the absence or presence of howlers, habitat quality and the extent and type of human disturbance or use. We surveyed 5,125 ha and found howler monkeys in 2,921 ha (57%). The physiognomy, altitude and connectivity with forest in other quadrates were the three predictors of the presence of howler monkeys. Reasons for this include the fact that human use for such as agriculture, cattle breeding, housing estates, and roads is more concentrated in the lowlands than in the more hilly areas. Our findings suggest that the brown howler monkeys of Porto Alegre live as a meta-population. We participated in forums to discuss land use and management decisions. UMP influenced the creation of 895 ha of municipal protected areas over the 10 years. UMP initiated a civil enquiry concerning problems of the electrocution of howler monkeys using power lines. Two years after, as a result, the Rio Grande do Sul State Electricity Company insulated the cables in the areas where they presented a hazard. In 2002, a bill of amendment was passed (municipal law no 482/99), which provided for tax exemption for landowners who conserve natural areas or use their land for agriculture. Our recommendations for the future include: 1) maintenance of the current rural matrix in the south of Porto Alegre; 2) the creation of the “Morro São Pedro Natural Park”; 3) the establishment of a federal strategy for primate conservation in urban areas in Brazil; and 4) the inclusion of a criterion concerning human population density in the areas of occurrence for the threatened categories of the IUCN Red List.

New Records of Bradypus torquatus (Pilosa: Bradypodidae) from Southern Sergipe, Brazil

One of the main threats to the survival of the endangered maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) is its relatively restricted geographic range, especially in comparison with the other mainland species of the genus (Aguiar and Fonseca, 2008; Chiarello, 2008). This range is basically restricted to the coastal Atlantic Forest between eastern Rio de Janeiro and southern Sergipe (Fonseca and Aguiar, 2004; Lara-Ruiz and Chiarello, 2005), and thus also coincides with the region of Brazil with the longest history of European colonization and deforestation (Dean, 1995). Furthermore, there is some evidence of the existence of three geographically and genetically distinct populations in Bahia, Espirito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro (Lara-Ruiz et al., 2008) which may even represent separate taxa (Fonseca and Aguiar, 2004).

Primates, Pitheciidae, Callicebus coimbrai Kobayashi and Langguth, 1999: new localities for an endangered titi monkey in eastern Sergipe, Brazil

Coimbra-Filho’s titi monkey, Callicebus coimbrai Kobayashi and Langguth, 1999, appears to be endemic to the northern Atlantic Forest, south of the lower Sao Francisco River in east of the state of Sergipe and north-east of the state of Bahia. This study presents 13 new records of the occurrence of the species in the Sao Francisco and Japaratuba basins of eastern Sergipe, extending its range in the state over a distance of some 40 km. This represents an important advance in the known range and total number of populations of this endangered primate.

Living on the Edge: Habitat Fragmentation at the Interface of the Semiarid Zone in the Brazilian Northeast

The Brazilian Northeast is dominated by the Caatinga, a xeric scrub forest characterized by “semiarid” climatic conditions, with annual precipitation often below 600 mm, and an unpredictable rainy season. North of 13oS, the Atlantic Forest forms a narrow coastal strip, of only a few dozen kilometers in width, with a relatively humid climate. Both biomes have been subjected to intense anthropogenic habitat fragmentation over the past few decades, although this process has different implications for each ecoregion. In Sergipe, the geographic ranges of two titi species, Callicebus barbarabrownae and Callicebus coimbrai, appear to correlate with the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest, respectively. Titis are relatively rare in the Caatinga, in terms of both the number of populations and their density. In the lower Rio Sao Francisco basin, 41.2 % of Atlantic Forest fragments (n = 17) had titi populations, whereas only 28.1 % of Caatinga sites (n = 32) had titis. In the ecotone between the two (the Agreste), however, no populations were found (n = 21), suggesting a lacuna in their distribution. Population surveys at sites representative of the distribution of the two titi species indicate that the density of C. coimbrai may be two to four times higher than that of C. barbarabrownae. Overall, the data appear to indicate that while the survival of titi populations in the Caatinga may be dependent on factors such as fragment size and the presence of groundwater, the survival of the populations of the Atlantic Forest may be more closely related to more random factors such as the history of colonization.

Self-anointing behaviour in captive titi monkeys ( Callicebus spp.)

Abstract Self-anointing behaviour using Bauhinia sp. was reported in two captive titi monkeys (Callicebus coimbrai and Callicebus barbarabrownae). The study was carried out from October 2013 to May 2014 during an experimental study investigating the gut passage time of these individuals at the Getúlio Vargas Zoobotanical Park, north-eastern Brazil. Although leaves, petioles and flowers of Bauhinia contain chemical substances that could affect the presence of ectoparasites, it is unclear if titi monkeys demonstrate self-anointing behaviour as a method of self-medication. However, due to the presence of large glands in C. coimbrai and C. barbarabrownae chests, and the high frequency of occurrence observed for the adult male, we cautiously suggest that the use of Bauhinia may be linked to olfactory communication.

Functional planning units for the management of an endangered Brazilian titi monkey

Conservation practices in the tropics often rely on the data available for a few, better‐known species and the adoption of an appropriate spatial scale. By defining a set of landscape units that account for critical aspects of the focal species, the information available on these conservation targets can support regional conservation policies. Here, we define and classify adjacent landscapes, termed planning units, to orientate management decisions within and among these landscapes, which are occupied by an endangered flagship primate species (Coimbra‐Filhos titi monkey, Callicebus coimbrai) from eastern Brazil. We use landscape boundaries (highways and river systems), and a high‐resolution map of forest remnants to identify continuous and manageable landscapes. We employed functional landscape metrics based on the species’ dispersal ability and home range size to characterize and classify these landscapes. We classified planning units by scoring them according to a suite of selected metrics through a Principal Component Analysis. We propose 31 planning units, containing one to six C. coimbrai populations, most with low values of habitat availability, functional connectivity and carrying capacity, and a high degree of degradation. Due to this poor landscape configuration, basic management practices are recommendable. However, additional aspects of the landscapes and the populations they contain (e.g., matrix type and genetic variability) should improve the scheme, which will require a closer integration of research aims with socio‐political strategies. Even so, our scheme should prove useful for the combination of information on conservation targets (i.e., focal species) with management strategies on an administrative scale.