SLEEPING SITES
We examined 45 trees of 21 different species which were inhabited by Aotus groups (Table 1). The species of trees used most frequently by Aotus in both study sites were: Eschweilera sp. (18.007o), Calycophyllum spruceanum (11%), Buchenavia sp. (11.1%), and Macrolobium acaciifolium (9.0%).
In the Nanay river area, the majority of sleeping sites was in Eschweilera sp. (28.0%),
Table 1. Tree utilized as Type A sleeping sites by Aotus vociferans.
|
Family
|
Species | Vernacular name |
Frequency
|
Total
|
%
|
|||
|
Nanay River
|
Napo River
|
|||||||
|
F1
|
%
|
F2
|
%
|
F1 F2
|
||||
| Arecaceae | Astrocaryum sp. | Huiririma |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Arecaceae | Iriartea sp. | Huacrapona |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Arecaceae | Mauritia flexuosa | Aguaje |
2
|
15.4
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
4.4
|
| Combretaceae | Buchenavia sp. | Porotillo |
1
|
7.7
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Combretaceae | Buchenavia sp. | Yacushapana |
-
|
-
|
5
|
15.6
|
5
|
11.1
|
| Chrysobalanaceae | Parinari parili | Parinari |
-
|
-
|
2
|
6.2
|
2
|
4.4
|
| Euphorbiaceae | Drypetes sp. | Yutobanco |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Euphorbiaceae | Mabea sp. | Shiringuilla |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Lecythidaceae | Eschweilera sp. | Machimango |
3
|
23
|
5
|
15.6
|
8
|
18
|
| Leguminosae | Campsiandra angustifolia | Huacapurana |
2
|
15.4
|
1
|
3.1
|
3
|
6.7
|
| Leguminosae | Clitoria arborea | Huayruro |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Leguminosae | Diplothropis martiusii | Bushilla |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Leguminosae | Erythrina sp. | Amasisa |
1
|
7.7
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Leguminosae | Macrolobium acaciifolium | Pashaco negro |
1
|
7.7
|
3
|
9.3
|
4
|
9
|
| Leguminosae | Pithecellobium sp. | Pashaco |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Leguminosae | Inga sp. | Shimbillo |
1
|
7.7
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Moraceae | Coussapoa sp. | Renaco |
1
|
7.7
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Moraceae | Ficus americana | Renaco |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
| Rubiaceae | Calycophyllum spruceanum | Capirona |
1
|
7.7
|
4
|
13
|
5
|
11.1
|
| Verbenaceae | Vitex sp. |
-
|
-
|
1
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.2
|
|
| Vochysiaceae | Qualea paraensis | Añushi-rumu |
-
|
-
|
3
|
9.3
|
3
|
6.7
|
| Total |
13
|
100
|
32
|
100
|
45
|
100
|
||
Mauritia flexuosa (15.4%), and Campsiandra angustifolia (15.4%). In the Napo river, most of the sleeping sites were in Buchenavia sp. (15.6%), C spruceanum (13.0%), M. acaciifolium (9.3 %), and Qualea paraensis (9.3
COHABITATION OF SLEEPING SITES
The definition of cohabitation is the sharing by two or more mammal species of a hole that possesses two or more access orifices with sufficient width and depth of the internal cavities to house them (AQUINO & ENCARNACIÓN, 1986). We recorded cohabitation of A. vociferans in seven instances, on different days, with other nocturnal mammals, such as Potos flavus, Isothrix bistriatus, and chiropterans. These instances of cohabitation were generally in C angustifolia, C spruceanum, Eschweilera sp., M. acaciifolium, and M. flexuosa trees.
We observed one case of cohabitation between A. vociferans and R flavus in the Nanay river area in a dry trunk of M. flexuosa. In this case, two individuals of P flavus came into the holes at 05:15 and occupied the deep part of the cavity. After 14 minutes of observation, an Aotus group with three individuals entered by the same access route as P flavus and occupied the upper part of the cavity near the access hole. Another case of cohabitation occurred in the Napo river area between a group of three Aotus individuals and one Isothrix bistriatus in a C angustifolia trunk. The sleeping site had two access holes, and individuals of each species were situated slightly near these access holes. Other cohabitation interactions were observed among Aotus sharing holes of C spruceanum, Eschweilera sp., and M. acaciifolium senescent trunks with chiroptera. The interior of all these trunk cavities had shelves or gradients where the chiroptera could rest suspended or hanging.
COOCCUPATION OF SLEEPING TREES
The
definition of cooccupation is the use of one or more independent sleeping sites
located within the same tree. On two occasions A. vociferans was observed
in the Napo river using its sleeping tree (cooccupation) with Coendou sp.,
and Caluromys lanatus. The first observed case of cooccupation was
in a M. acaciifolium tree (Fig. 2) between A. vociferans and Coendou
sp. The A. vociferans sleeping site was a hole with two access orifices,
located 15 and 23 m high, respectively. The sleeping site of Coendou sp.
was a concavity situated above the first branch. Both sleeping sites were
separated by epiphytes.
The second case of cooccupation was between A. vociferans and C. lanatus in a Clitoria arborea trunk. A sub-axial hole (AQUINO & ENCARNACIÓN, 1986), 14 m high, was occupied by Aotus. The sleeping site of C lanatus was 8 m higher than that of Aotus, and it was formed by a tuft of woody, dry brambles, and an entanglement of climbers.
Fig. 2. Macrolobium acaciaefolium trunk with independent sleeping sites. <X: Aotus vociferans; 44: Coendou sp.
