O Northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) It is the largest primate among the so-called 'New World Monkeys'. Muriquis have long limbs and a long prehensile tail, allowing them to be particularly agile when moving. The thick coat is grayish-brown in color and males may have a more yellow coloring.
Endemic to the region of Atlantic forest in Brazil, these animals can be found in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.
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Muriquis have a long prehensile tail, which is important for moving around and in the process of feeding. They have long arms and thick fur with a coloration that varies from light brown to golden. They can weigh from 6.9 to 15 kg and their body length can range from 46.1 to 49.7 cm, with a tail length of 72.6 to 81.0 cm. The size of the tail usually exceeds that of the body.
They inhabit tropical, semi-deciduous, late forests and prefer areas with large trees and high plant density. This environment facilitates the movement of the animal on trips through the trees. The average height of the canopy of trees where these primates live is 13.4 m. Its habitat has been greatly disturbed by human activity, creating large gaps and increasing the frequency of overland travel to move between forested areas.
Northern muriquis have a mating system in which both sexes mate with multiple partners. These primates have an egalitarian society, where there are no dominant or subordinate individuals. Females shed pheromone through their urine as they travel. The reproduction process is slow and muriquis have a baby every three years. There is a two-year gap in which the mother takes care of her offspring before restarting the cycle.
Its diet includes leaves, fruits, vines, flowers, bark, nectar and seeds. They are also known to eat dirt. This is to supplement dietary nutrients, as the soil consumed has high levels of vanadium, aluminum, chromium, iron, nickel, titanium, and zinc.
They are social primates and live in groups of males and females, ranging from 48 to 81 individuals. Males do not show aggressive behavior towards each other and do not physically compete for females. In the case of females, they spend most of their time taking care of their young and with other adult females, when they are not mating. Muriquis communicate using vocalizations over long and short distances.
Northern muriquis are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world. There are approximately 855 to 1000 muriquis in the wild in Brazil.
