White-eared Titi: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Monkeys of the Americas · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. Titi couples are thought to stay together for life. They do everything side by side, and get clearly upset when they are apart.
2. The pair sing loud, deep duets to tell neighbours where their patch is. Any family within earshot sings its own duet back.
3. Dad does the carrying. Babies ride on their father all the time, and only go to mum when it is time to feed.
4. At night the family sleeps at least 15 m up in the trees, huddled close with their long fluffy tails twined together.
5. Titis mostly eat leaves, especially young ones, so they spend a good part of the day resting while their meal digests.

The quiz

1. How do titi partners behave when they are apart?

• They look for a new partner
• They fall asleep
• They show distress and agitation (correct)
• They stop eating for weeks

The pair is strongly bonded and gets upset when not close together.

2. What does a neighbouring titi family do when it hears a duet?

• It answers with its own duet (correct)
• It runs away silently
• It comes to join the group
• It hides underground

Groups within earshot respond with their own duetting.

3. Who carries baby titis most of the time?

• Their older sisters
• Their mother
• Their grandparents
• Their father (correct)

Babies are carried by the male except when they feed.

4. How do titis sleep?

• Alone in a burrow
• Huddled on high branches with tails twined (correct)
• Hanging upside down by their feet
• In a nest of leaves on the ground

They sleep at least 15 m up, huddled together with their tails twined.

5. Why do titis spend a good part of the day resting?

• To hide from the rain
• To digest the leaves they eat (correct)
• Because they hunt all night
• To keep cool in caves

Their leafy diet needs long rests for digestion.

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