With,32 extant species of primates (ENCARNACIÓN et al., 1993), Peru ranks second in the neotropical region with regard,to primate species diversity, surpassed only by Brazil. Thirty-one primate species are living in the vast Amazonian region which comprises more than 75 million hectars, equivalent to about 65% of the Peruvian territory. Only Alouatta palliata and Cebus albifrons inhabit the tropical forests of northwestern Peru in the Department of Tumbes. Seven species belong to the family Callitrichidae, one to the family Callimiconidae, and 24 to the family Cebidae.
This book provides basic information about external characters, ecology, behaviour, geographic distribution and conservation status of every primate species known from Peru. This information is supplemented by bibliographic references to taxonomic, ecological and other publications for those readers who want to obtain more detailed information.
For the description of geographic distribution and conservation status we have referred to the results of numerous censuses and intensive explorations carried out between 1976 and 1989, including the collection of specimens for museums. However, for some species we have had to rely exclusively on information published in the literature.
