Methods

A total of 450 Aotus nancymai was trapped by the Peruvian Primatological Project (PPP) in the tropi cal forest of Peru. Between January 1987 and May 1988 these animals were sent, in nine shipments, to Battelle Northwest Laboratories.

Prior to shipment, animals were conditioned and quarantined at the PPP. This procedure, which lasted from two to eight weeks, included habituation to a baked diet (Open Formula Baked Diet PAHO 79) and training to the use of water bottles. All animals were tattooed for identification and treated with an anthelmintic (thiabendazole, 100 mg/kg body weight) effective against the oxyurid and stongyloidid parasites most often found in wildcaught specimens of this genus. Sex was determined, and an estimate was made of age, based on weight, body length, dental irruption and/or wear, presence and size of scent glands, size and pigmentation of external genitalia, and development of mammary glands and nipples. Age groups were classified as juvenile, subadult and adult.

Animals were weighed two hours prior to air shipment to the United States, and caged in contain ers designed for this purpose by the PPP..Each con tainer had four cubicles, each housing one animal. Cubicles were approximately 12 in. high X 12 in. deep.x 9 in. wide, with openings on two sides.Openings, 4 in. X 7 in. and 4 in. X 9 in. respectively, were covered with two layers of wire meshto prevent the escape of animals and the entranceof arthropods.

Animals were fed and watered ad libitum priorto shipment. For the first part of the journey (Iquitosto Miami), each animal was offered half a bananathat was introduced into the crate prior to shipment.No water was offered during transit to Miami.

Animals departed Iquitos at 1830 and arrived atMiami at 0600 EST. Transit time, of approximately11.3 hours, included a stopover and plane changein Lima, Peru. When flights from Miami to Richland were available within 48 hours, animals werefed and watered in their transport cages before reshipment. For longer delays, animals were removed from their crates and housed at the Perrine Primate Center in Miami, where they were fed and watereduntil a suitable connecting flight was available. Animals were then returned to their own crates for theremainder of the trip.

Transport time between Miami and Richland wasapproximately 16 hours. Animals were providedwith fruit, generally apples, for this part of the journey. Departure from Miami was usually at 2300EST, arriving at Richland at approximately 1200PST, after a stopover for refueling in Chicago anda plane change in Seattle.

Animals were received at the airport by Battellepersonnel and immediately transported to the facility, a 20 minute drive away. Animals were given aphysical examination by staff veterinarians, weighed, caged by male/female pairs, and providedwith a balanced diet (New World Primate MonkeyChow 5046, Ralston Purina, St. Louis, MO), fruits (bananas and apples), and water ad libitum. Animals were again weighed 30 days after arrival.

Table I. Shipment of 450 owl monkeys (Aotus nancymai) from Iquitos, Peru to Richland, Washington: mean body weights¹ and standard deviations at departure, at arrival, and 30 days after arrival by days in transit, age, and sex.

.       .			Group A2							Group B3							Group C4
			Departure		Arrival		30 Days			Departure		Arrival		30 Days			Departure		Arrival		30 Days
Age	Sex	N	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	N	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	N	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
Adults	F	31	828	20	798	20	849	20	66	912	16	860	15	874	14	14	902	20	853	16	883	17
	M	33	881	22	836	23	881	23	67	962	18	911	19	932	19	37	946	20	914	18	950	19
Subadults	F	22	719	22	670	23	720	27	13	701	20	649	18	760	30	18	781	29	725	24	797	27
	M	18	767	33	729	37	779	32	10	717	39	665	33	763	34	21	723	22	672	21	729	20
Juveniles	F	1	568		532		669		26	534	11	501	11	565	12	3	647	33	637	51	700	49
	M	3	596	28	549	50	673	46	19	576	15	525	17	604	17	6	797	54	715	40	763	36

¹In grams.
²Group A = 34 days in transit.
³Group B = 67 days in transit.
⁴Group C = 914 days in transit.