Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 5, Part 3

CONTINUING EDUCATION


Special Topic Dana- Chapter 4, Marmosets and Tamarins


Ryland’s Marmosets and Tamarins
Systematics, Behavior and Ecology


Chapter 4: MAKING SENSE OUT OF SCENTS

During recent years, our knowledge of the role that scent plays in non-human primate communication has increased considerably. Among simian primates (monkeys and apes), callitrichids appear to have the most elaborately developed scent glands and scent marking behaviors, suggesting that chemical communication is of great importance in this family. Marmosets and tamarins possess a rich repertoire of chemosignalling behaviors, which are highly associated with investigation and curiosity. It is common for callitrichids to lick and sniff the bodies, scent glands, and scent marks of others in a variety of sexual and social situations. The main sources of chemical signals come from the sternal (chest) area and the area surrounding the genitals. There are a few basic marking patterns that are used by both males and females.

Circumgenital Marking
• Also termed sit rubbing or anal marking.
• Scent is applied by rubbing the gland in a sitting position
• Lowest intensity marking pattern.

Suprapubic Marking
• Also called pull rubbing.
• Scents are applied when the animal presses the suprapubic pad to the surface, and pulls itself forward with the hands, or pushes up with the feet.
•Epple et al. note that it has not been observed in captive C.jaccus. (marmosets at PPS do this behavior frequently!)

Sternal Marking
• Involves rubbing the sternal gland against items in the environment.
• In most species, sternal marking is shown less frequently.

Chemical signals are important because they can convey species, subspecies, individual, gender, reproductive condition, and may also contain information on the social status and age of the animal. For example, an increase in female scent marking during estrus was reported for Saguinus oedipus (Cotton-top Tamarin.) Increases in female scent marking in C.jacchus (White-tufted Eared Marmoset) have been reported. Scents from pregnant females may promote group cohesion so that helpers are present at the time an infant is born. Scent plays a large role in aggressive behaviors as well. Scent-marking activity increases dramatically when strange conspecifics (animals of the same species) are introduced to established pairs or groups. Territorial marking, identification of resting/roosting places, and marking food resources are all of importance, especially for captive marmosets and tamarins. For example, captive marmosets usually show a high amount of wood gouging, a behavior related to tree exudate consumption in the wild. Scent marking is concentrated at gouge holes and in other specific locations in the enclosure, such as a nest box, sleeping houses or food shelves, possibly to label these things as resources.

-Rylands, A. B. Marmosets and Tamarins. Systematics, Behavior, and Ecology. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Special Topic Erin- Species Spotlight


Cotton Top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)

The most noticeable characteristic of the Cotton Top Tamarin is the long white crest of hair that extends from the forehead and sweeps down past the shoulders. Their smooth faces are black, with hair so fine that their faces look bare. They have white bellies, and white arms and legs. Their backs are brown with a reddish-orange tinge, particularly along their tail. They are small monkeys, typically weighing around 420 grams (just under a pound) in the wild, but often weighing up to 560 grams in captivity.

Historically, Cotton Top Tamarins were found throughout a very small area of Northwestern Columbia. Today, however, the area where they can be found is even more limited to parks and reserves within their original range.

They live in extended family groups of 4-15 individuals. The groups consist of a dominant pair, along with their most recent offspring, and a few young males and females (usually children of the dominant pair). The older offspring help with rearing the young. Tamarins eat a large amount of insects and fruit in the wild, and will also feed on plant exudates (gums).

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, 20,000-30,000 individual Cotton Top Tamarins were taken from their native habitats, and exported to the United States for biomedical research. This species is currently listed as critically endangered, and their numbers are still decreasing.

While it is no longer legal to export this species, their native forests continue to be destroyed. Over the past 18 years, Cotton Top Tamarins have experienced an 80% reduction of their population. It is estimated that there are only 300 to 1,000 Cotton Top Tamarins left in Colombia. There are 1,800 Cotton Top Tamarins in captivity and of those, 64% are found in research laboratories. Pacific Primate Sanctuary is currently home to 20 individuals of these critically endangered primates.

-Cawthon Lang KA. 2005 May 18. Primate Factsheets: Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology. . Accessed 2010 April 19.

-Bridgeman, B. 2002. "Saguinus oedipus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 19, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Saguinus_oedipus.html.

-Savage, A. & Causado, J. 2008. Saguinus oedipus. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. . Downloaded on 20 April 2010.



We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s E-Newsletter. Thank you for your support of our life saving work. Because of compassionate people, the Sanctuary can continue to provide a place of peace and happiness for 74 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and smugglers. Here they can heal, form families, and live free from exploitation. 



“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
- Margaret Mead


This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 5, Part 2

WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS?

Building the New PPS Extension

Steven working- Up on the Roof

We are currently in the process of building more outdoor enclosures to accommodate the monkeys now living indoors in portables. Construction of the new Extension is now well under way, and the Sanctuary is in urgent need of funds for this vital project.

Progress on the new extension continues! The framework has been completed, and the next step is to get the roof up. This process has already begun, with much of the framing for the roof panels already in place. We have selected the roof panels, and are excited to get them up next. After much discussion, we have finalized the enclosure design details, and given them to Corners LTD. They have already begun fabricating the panels, and we are planning on installing them in June.



We Need Your Help!

Please join with us in our life saving work. With your help, we can build the new
addition with outdoor enclosures for the monkeys now living indoors.

Envisioning the New PPS Extension

Rescue Fund

Please help the monkeys by contributing to our Rescue Fund. This fund will allow us to provide refuge for at risk animals needing to be brought to the Sanctuary immediately. Laboratories and pet owners often have deadlines for placement and may not contribute to the costs involved in getting the animal to Pacific Primate Sanctuary or for providing housing and care.

Please send your tax-deductible donations to:


Pacific Primate Sanctuary
500-A Haloa Road
Haiku, HI 96708


Or donate on our website, www.pacificprimate.org using PayPal.

Join Hands Volunteer Fair

Pacific Primate Sanctuary once again participated in The Volunteer Center’s "Join Hands" Fair, on Saturday April 17. We were able to spread the word about the Sanctuary and handed out Volunteer Applications as well.

The County of Maui Volunteer Recognition awards were also held during the Volunteer Fair. The Volunteer Recognition Awards recognizes individuals for their dedication, commitment and determination in promoting and supporting volunteerism throughout Maui County. This year, two of our wonderful volunteers were recognized for their contributions.

Congratulations, and MAHALO (Thank You) to our Volunteers for your selfless service and dedication to Pacific Primate Sanctuary!


PPS PEOPLE in the SPOTLIGHT


Meet PPS Volunteer Morgan S.

Morgan began volunteering at Pacific Primate Sanctuary in July 2009. She came to the Sanctuary with a background of primate care, having spent 2 ½ years working at a Zoo with a variety of primates including Capuchins and Spider Monkeys. The Sanctuary has benefitted from Morgan’s knowledge of primates, and creativity in providing unique enrichment for the animals. Morgan’s experience working with Spider Monkeys has been particularly helpful in getting our newest residents, Carlos and Montana, settled in comfortably. Although she has a very busy schedule, Morgan drives all the way from Kihei (about a 45 minute drive) every Tuesday after work for the PM shift. Each week, she lights up the Sanctuary with her bright smile and positive demeanor, we are thrilled to have Morgan as a member of the PPS Family!

Morgan writes:
“I volunteer at Pacific Primate Sanctuary because I love animals and always have. Ever since I was little, I have felt a connection with all critters, from little ants to elephants. I think I have always recognized our similarities rather than noticing our differences.


I have dedicated my life to studying biology and teaching others to love science, nature and all the animals in it. After receiving my master’s degree studying animal behavior, I went on to engross myself in the most complex and interesting animal behavior I could think of... primates. I became a primate zookeeper. For two and a half years I dedicated my life to caring for, feeding, cleaning up after, treating, training and bonding with primates of many varieties. I loved my time with my animals and knew deep down that my time with our primate relatives was incredibly valuable and life changing. And although my life plans took me far away from my zoo-keeping job to my new job in Maui, I would never be able to say goodbye completely to my monkey friends. So, when I saw a flyer for volunteers at the Sanctuary, I immediately applied. Caring for these animals again, although for only a few hours a week, allows me to give back to the animals that have provided me with so much. And, knowing that they have a peaceful and loving Sanctuary to be the monkeys they were destined to be, makes it all worth it!”


PPS INTERNSHIP

Primatology students and professionals in related fields are selected by our Board for yearlong resident internships at the Pacific Primate Sanctuary. The Sanctuary welcomes applicants with a background and interest in animal husbandry, welfare and conservation, exotic veterinary medicine, biology, and related fields.

This yearlong Internship provides the unique opportunity of receiving training in all aspects of New World primate care and husbandry. Interns live on site and can observe the monkeys housed in social groups in a naturalistic tropical setting similar to their native jungles, which are often inaccessible.

Sanctuary Interns provide care to the monkeys, train volunteers, maintain the facility, update PPS Manuals, and keep detailed records of each animal living here. The health and well being of the primates is their main concern, and there is at least one intern on site at all times.

Each Intern who comes to Pacific Primate Sanctuary brings a unique set of skills, experience, and knowledge that contribute to the ever-improving level of care provided to the monkeys at the Sanctuary. While the Interns may only be here for a year (or longer in some cases), they are truly with us forever in the protocol documents they create, the improvements they make, and their enduring devotion, which remains in all of our hearts. While each Intern is a unique individual, there are a few traits that they all share: compassion, kind-heartedness, and generosity.
The Sanctuary continues to be, as Intern Elise once pointed out, “an Angel Magnet”!

Past and Present Interns- Dana, Alli, Robin and Erin (with Alegria)

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 5, Part 1

PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT


Meet Chloe

Chloe is a Black-tufted Ear Marmoset (Callithrix penicillata) who was born at Pacific Primate Sanctuary on June 29, 1998 to the delight of her amazing parents, Tank and Florence. Tank was rescued by PPS after the medical laboratory where he was housed was shut down for violations of basic animal care regulations. Florence was given refuge at the Sanctuary, after being confiscated from a smuggler by federal inspectors.
(To read more about Tank and Florence please see Tank’s story on our website: www.pacificprimate.org). Chloe, along with her twin sister Cordelia, came into this world in a way that is most unusual for monkeys- they were delivered by Caesarian. Once Florence’s incision healed, she and her two baby girls rejoined Tank and Abraham (Chloe’s older brother) in their family’s enclosure.

Chloe’s life has been similar to a monkey living in the wild: growing up in a natural family group, with parents to care for her, and siblings to play with, leaping from branch to branch through the greenery. Chloe and her sister helped raise their younger brother, Solomon. When she became a mature adult, we introduced Chloe to Guido, a male companion. Guido and Chloe have formed a very close bond, spending hours together in the trees, grooming in the sun or feeling the wind and rain on their bodies.

Chloe is one of the “Free Generation” of marmosets, a monkey born at Pacific Primate Sanctuary, who has never had to experience pain at human hands, or be treated as a saleable commodity. There is a sense of empowerment, self-assurance, and trust that can be seen in the clarity and brightness of her eyes, and in her penetrating gaze.


NOTABLE NEWS

Martine sits on a new branch

The weather is finally starting to warm up, and the rain is slowing down- we are definitely on our way into summer! The monkeys have been taking advantage of the sunshine, and spending countless hours in their outdoor enclosures. Simon and Martine, two White-tufted Ear Marmosets, particularly enjoyed exploring after several fresh branches were hung in their enclosure. Artemis and Ezra, a pair of Cotton Top Tamarins, have been spending almost every waking moment outdoors!

Macaco, an ex-pet, was moved into a new portable this month. He had been in a special enclosure with more flat surfaces to slowly get him used to moving on branches and climbing. He has now been moved in to a taller, mesh portable with more branches to climb on, and he is adjusting really well. He is climbing with dexterity on all the branches and along the mesh. As soon as we can get the new extension built we will be to move him into an outdoor enclosure!

The four Capuchin Monkeys are all doing wonderfully. Viola and Miranda have been playfully chasing each other through the greenery. Viola continues to enjoy finger painting, and even tried out a paintbrush with the help of Volunteers!

Montana enjoys a special treat wrapped in a Ti leaf

We continue to get to know the Spider Monkeys as they settle into their new home. Their diet has been expanding as we add new and more appropriate foods to their AM and PM meals. A variety of nuts, green vegetables and new fruits have brought many monkey “whinnies” of pleasure and excitement. Their fur is growing thicker and more lustrous. They are moving around their new enclosure in a much more natural way- hand over hand along the branches and ropes. (When Lucy leaves them she calls out- “See you later, brachiator!”


MEET MORE MONKEYS

Vida, a Black-tufted Ear Marmoset rests on a shelf next to a fresh ginger flower.
Vida is well known among Sanctuary Volunteers for luxuriously stretching out; as she is often found sprawled comfortably in any sunny patch she can find.

Sebastian, a White-tufted Ear Marmoset, was recently paired with Allegra, and the couple is getting along very well! Here, Sebastian sits on a branch in his outdoor enclosure.







This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.