Callicebus barbarabrownae (Hershkovitz, 1990)

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Phitheciidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 432-483 : 471

30.

Blond Tit

Callicebus barbarabrownae

French: Titi blond / German: Barbara-Brown-Springaffe / Spanish: Titi de Barbara Brown

Other common names: Barbara Brown's Titi, Blond Titi Monkey, Northern Bahian Blond Titi, Northern Bahian Blond

Taxonomy. Callicebus personatus barbarabrownae Hershkovitz, 1990 ,

LLamarao, Bahia.

C. barbarabrownae was originally described as a subspecies of C. personatus , but it was raised to a full species by S. Kobayashi in 1995. It is a member of the personatus species group. In the east, its distribution appears to coincide with the transition between the Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest biomes, and western limits of geographic distributions of C. coimbrai to the north and C. melanochir to the south. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Brazil, in the semi-arid caatinga scrublands of NC Bahia and W Sergipe, S of the Rio Sao Francisco and N of the Rio Paraguacu. While its distribution is thought to extend N and W of the Rio Sao Francisco, there is no evidence ofits presence in Bahia as far W as this river. It is unclear if this is a natural limit ofits distribution due to a lack of suitable habitats in the increasingly arid scrublands to the W, or the result of recent anthropogenic impacts that have reinforced the relatively harsh conditions of the region.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 33-36 cm (females), tail 39-5—-43 cm (females); adult weight unknown, but probably 1000-1300 g based on body length and weights of other species of the personatus group. No measurements are available for males. There is no marked sexual dimorphism in adult Blond Titis, except for their genitalia. Back and sides of body are pale buffy, with blackish hair bases that show through the pelage in a stippling or banding effect; thighs and upper arms are paler. Throat, chest, and belly are almost entirely buffy. Tail is a dark orange to a rich chestnut color. Face, hands, and feet are black. Forehead, crown, and fronts of ears are buffy, with blackish tips to uppermost hairs of crown. At least three distinct color variants have been recorded in the field, ranging from a predominantly grayish to a predominantly brownish coloration. It is unclearif this represents individual variation or systematic variation among populations, which may reflect geographic or ecological factors.

Habitat. Arboreal caatinga scrub or dry forest at elevations of 240-900 m. This low, dense woodland tends to be naturally interspersed with more open, xeric scrub that is inappropriate for monkeys, and this patchiness is exacerbated by deforestation for agriculture.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. Adult Blond Titis form monogamous pairs, with the male participating actively in parental care primarily by transporting the infant.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Survey data indicate relatively small groups of 2—4 individuals, which is consistent with the typical composition oftiti social groups, based on an adult breeding pair and their immature offspring. The Blond Titi appears to occur at very low densities at most sites. Two small groups (breeding pairs) have been found in an isolated 115ha fragment of arboreal caatinga in Sergipe, which suggest a home range of more than 50 ha.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Blond Titi is threatened primarily by its natural rarity in the semi-arid caatinga, whereit is restricted to dense, arboreal habitats; loss of habitat within its geographic distribution and a complete lack of protected areas are additional threats. It is extremely rare and remaining populations are small and widely separated. A survey of its distribution in 2004-2005 estimated an area of occupancy of 2636 km? and a population not exceeding ¢.300 individuals.

Bibliography. Ferrari et al. (2013), de Freitas et al. (2011), Hershkovitz (1988, 1990), Kobayashi (1995), Marinho-Filho & Verissimo (1997), Norconk (2011), Printes, Jerusalinsky et al. (2013), Printes, Rylands & Bicca-Marques (2011), Veiga, Printes, Rylands et al. (2008).

Figures

On following pages: 20. Madidi Titi (Callicebus aureipalatii); 21. Medem'’s Titi (Callicebus medemi); 22. White-collared Titi (Callicebus torquatus); 23. White-chested Titi (Callicebus lugens); 24. Yellow-handed Titi (Callicebus lucifen; 25. Rio Purus Titi (Callicebus purinus); 26. Rio Jurué Collared Titi (Callicebus regulus); 27. Black-fronted Titi (Callicebus nigrifrons); 28. Masked Titi (Callicebus personatus); 29. Southern Bahian Titi (Callicebus melanochir); 30. Blond Titi (Callicebus barbarabrownae); 31. Coimbra-Filho's Titi (Callicebus coimbral).

Distribution. E Brazil, in the semi-arid caatinga scrublands of NC Bahia and W Sergipe, S of the Rio Sao Francisco and N of the Rio Paraguacu. While its distribution is thought to extend N and W of the Rio Sao Francisco, there is no evidence ofits presence in Bahia as far W as this river. It is unclear if this is a natural limit ofits distribution due to a lack of suitable habitats in the increasingly arid scrublands to the W, or the result of recent anthropogenic impacts that have reinforced the relatively harsh conditions of the region.