And Then There Were Three...

Hi everyone, my name is Chantelle and for the past three weeks I have been following the smallest of the titi monkey families at Yvaga Guazu, G2. With the presumed departure of adopted sub-adult Sol, G2 now consists of Vanessito, my dark, handsome male, Isabel my feisty female and mother to Luna, my juvenille, who never fails to make me smile with a curious tilt of her head.

The G2 family: Isabel, Vanessito and Luna

Vanessito is the brave protector of the group, who boldly patrols the borders of his territory in a periodic fashion each day, often vocalising in all four corners of his territory with or without the input of his loving (if not a little bossy) female, Isabel. He pays particular attention to the safeguarding of his family's beloved mango patch. This prime monkey real-estate is where my family like to spend the majority of their time, relaxing on the shaded branches (often for more than three hours at a time!) in the knowledge that they are surrounded by more mangos than they could possibly know what to do with. Such a bounty undoubtedly attracts the attention of other titi monkey families, and I'm looking forward to the turf battles that will undoubtedly ensue once the mangos are ripe. For now the only family allowed entry to the mango patch while Vanessito is nearby is G4, who's male, Casanova, is Vanessito's brother. G4 is a family of 6, with the newest addition being just a few weeks old. Since my family hasn't had a baby this year, it's nice to occasionally get a chance to watch this family interact with their little one.

Vanessito enjoying his hard earned mangos

Isabel is my feisty young female who, more often than not, will get her own way, a prime example being the grooming hierachy within the family. Several times now I have watched at Vanessito lay down across her 'lap' angling for a little attention from his partner. Sometimes Isabel will oblige, half-heartedly pulling at his fur a minute or so before quickly tiring of such things and switching places to recieve a much more thorough grooming from Vanessito. More recently Isabel showed similar discourtesies to her daughter; just a few days ago I watched as Luna was enjoying being groomed by Vanessito (always the doting dad) while Isabel rested, seemingly content, nearby. When the situation came to Isabel's attention she was quick to swoop in and take up Luna's spot in front of Vanessito. Despite these tendencies, Isabel does have a softer side, often resting tail-twined (the titi monkey characteristic that I find most endearing) with both Luna and Vanessito.

Isabel resting in the groups favourite mango tree, if I can't find my group I can be sure that they'll turn up here sooner or later!


Luna, the youngest of the group, is thought to have been adopted by Vanessito (along with her departed sister Sol) when he paired up with Isabel, after presumably seeing off a rival male. With no other juvenilles or sub-adults in the group, Luna has grown into an independent and courageous little monkey, often staying behind to feed a little longer while Vanessito and Isabel continue on through their territory. I have even witnessed her solo vocalising to a neighbouring chicken patch group, such is her nerve. It is usually Luna that alerts me to the familiy's presence; several times I have not realised that they are feeding right above my head while I scan the trees up ahead. Unaware of my close proximity I hear small alarm calls just above me and look up into the curious little black eyes of Luna, who, despite alarm calling never makes to move away.

Little Luna

It is this courage that seems to be a recurring trait in the G2 family, who, unlike many of the other groups, have never retreated at my presence. In fact, they often creep closer, sometimes to within only a couple of metres, to stare at this strange person who insists of following them aroound while they continue on with their daily business.

What's GNew

Hello titi lovers!  My name is Leanna, and this season I have been/will continue to be following the GN family.  Up until recently, there was a little confusion regarding the names and territories of the titi groups at Yvaga Guazu...what we thought might be G4 was actually GN and G4 was actually what we had been calling GN...oy vey!  A few Skypes with Kim and a couple of photo comparisons later, we finally had it all figured out.  And I can now say with confidence that GN are my monkeys and my monkeys are GN.  For those of you unfamiliar with this particularly titi family, the GN clan consists of papa Daniel, mama Carmen, Kuara, Jasy, Esperanzo, plus a BRAND NEW BEAUTIFUL BOUNCING BABY TITI!

One big happy titi family!

Even though GN has five individuals (plus one infant), these past few weeks it has become a rare occurrence to see all five (plus infant) together in the same place at the same time.  It is, however, very common to see the male, female, and juvenile - Daniel, Carmen, Esperanzo - hanging out and resting and foraging together at most times of the day.  And I would say with confidence that the male carries our new infant about 85% of the time.  Other times, the infant is nursing with the female.  Plus there's also the few random times when the little baby climbs on to the juvenile's back.  But that never lasts long...that baby may be tiny, but the juvenile's not much bigger!  Little Esperanzo usually passes younger sibling back to dad after only a minute or so.

Baby on Daniel's back

The GN male, Daniel, is by far my favorite of the group.  During the whole G4/GN confusion, I started calling him Mufasa because of his red color and fluffy "mane."  Also I just really like "The Lion King."  At first, he didn't trust me.  At all.  He would do everything in his power to steer clear of me and my binoculars.  His favorite trick was to climb down to a lower level in the canopy and disappear into a viney thicket...clearly out of my visual reach.  Eventually, I gained his trust.  Or his apathy.  Not sure which exactly.  But either way, he doesn't seem to mind me or my binoculars or my camera now, even coming down to rest on a relatively low branch.  Perfect photo op - thanks Dan!

GN's handsome male, Daniel

Carmen is a different story.  She still doesn't seem to like me too much, despite the fact that we've been spending so much time together recently.  5-7 hours a day, 5 days a week...you think she would've warmed up to me by now!  I'm sure I'll win her over eventually.  She spends the majority of her time with her male and juvenile, but it's not unusual to find her foraging solo in a Cecropia tree.  Hey girl, I totally get it - a woman needs her alone time, especially with a new baby in the house.  Do what ya gotta do, Carmen.  We'll be besties by December.

Carmen and Daniel vocalizing/tail twining

Our little titi juvenile, Esperanzo, has always been curious about me.  Coming down form the tree tops to look at me, jumping back and forth between branches right above my head, staring at me for extended periods of time.  Such a cutie.  Always wanting to play with mom and dad, never wanting to sit still and be groomed, this little monkey has a big personality.  Most times, he sticks pretty close to mom and dad, but there have been a few times of solo exploration by Esperanzo...never straying too far though.  There was one instance, when our male/female/juvenile trio was foraging on some Lauraceae fruits, and Daniel and Carmen continued down the trail without the little juvenile noticing.  They went all the way down past the soccer fields and across the fence before Esperanzo realized his parents were gone!  After a few desperate vocalizations on the part of the juvenile, mom and dad came back over the fence into Yvaga Guazu, and the reunited family happily rested in one of their favorite trees.

Crazy little Esperanzo...

The two GN subadults, Kuara and Jasy, are still a little bit of a mystery.  Okay, true confessions: I only know their names because I looked them up while typing this.  During the G4/GN mixup, when I first found out my monkeys were actually GN, I didn't know their names at all!  Even after I learned them, I couldn't ever actually remember their names.  So I started calling them Kahlua and Jazzy J.  Those nicknames have stuck around...at least in my field notebook.  Anyway, these two are a mystery.  I barely ever see them!  I've probably seen them only 2-3 times with the rest of the family.  Most days they are off on their own doing their own thing.  I've seen them sneak off into G4 territory a few times, but I haven't followed them yet to see what they're doing over there.  During the morning vocalizations, I can often hear the subadults close by, calling with the male and female.  One time, I witnessed what I have now dubbed 'tri-vocalizing.'  So this 'tri-vocalizing' occurred during the peak of YG monkey chatter.  I could see all my monkeys - a rare occurrence in itself.  They were all relatively spaced out, my male and female about 20 m from my oldest subadult and about 20 m from the other subadult and juvenile.  A titi triangle, if you will. ALL the other groups were vocalizing - G4, GE, G1, G2, and all those other G's back there.  My oldest subadult, Kuara/Kahlua was the first to vocalize from GN, followed shortly thereafter by the male/female, and then by Jasy/Jazzy J (our little juvy Esperanzo stayed quiet).  One family vocalizing from three different locations -- tri-vocalizing.

It's only been two weeks of official data collection, but I'm already in love with GN.  Even though I don't get to see everyone all the time (Kahlua and Jazzy J - I'm talkin' to you), who and what I do get to see is both highly entertaining and educational.  I'm so excited to be here working with the Titi Monkey Project, and I can't wait to watch my new little titi baby grow up!  (PS tiny titi name TBD...)

GE Update

Pictures: Family GE- Elena (grooming), Denito, Vicente, and Pedro (checking on new Baby GE); Papa Vicente showing me my first good look at new Baby GE

Hi guys, my name is Anna, and I am working with family GE this season. So far, it’s been a great time! I so absolutely love every one of them!! Elena is curious as ever, often checking out anything out of the ordinary in her territory, including me. Yesterday a park worker placed a sprinkler underneath the tree that they were resting in. She ran high up in the tree, and then returned and eagerly inspected the crazy machine for about ten minutes before deeming it harmless.

Vicente is the most cautious of the group, especially now that he is often toting around a new baby! He is such a good daddy, making sure that his baby is always safe. Lucky for him, big brother Pedro has been a devoted babysitter. The time spent carrying Baby GE is split almost equally between the two. It is clear though that Vicente seems to be more comfortable with this role. When Pedro has the baby, it seems to squirm around more frequently, so he is constantly checking on the little bugger. The baby often clings to Pedro’s arm as he sits in contact with Vicente. It’s so fun to watch!

Little brother Denito has also gotten into the fun in the last couple of days. His first attempt at baby carrying was a trip of about a foot, before he stopped and gave it back to Vicente. Yesterday, however, he kept the baby for about 5 minutes, even moving around a little bit between branches. What great big brothers this lucky baby has!!

Life with a new baby brings out the sweetest of family dynamics (well, maybe the family dynamics are always sweet and I just don’t know any better because I am new to this). Elena often engages in play with Denito, as Pedro and Vicente sit in contact twine-tailed with the baby. There is also a lot of grooming and whole family twine-tailing. It seems as though they can’t get enough of each other, and it’s the most wonderful thing to watch. They spent about a week refraining from vocalizing, but this week they were back at it again. Pedro and Vicente also take care of this order of business, while Denito and Elena are busy with other things.

All in all, I am so happy to be following GE. Not only is the family a joy, but I have also enjoying chatting with park staff and learning about different goings-on at Yvaga Guazu. Other pluses include signs indicating scientific names of certain trees (for food identification purposes), a beautiful territory to wander in, and sprinklers to stand under on the terribly hot days (my Minnesota blood is not yet accustomed to the 90+ degree weather). Cheers from Yvaga Guazu!

G2: A Family Living in a not-so-gorgeous Territory

Vanessito and Isabel in one of their favorite "caves" of chichapi and aguai, where they loved to eat the berry-like fruits of these plants.

Isabel coming down really close to check me out. My camera wasn't zoomed in at all for this picture. Probably the closest she ever came to me.

Sol enjoying a mandarin on my last day watching them. Meagan and I had wondered if they ate the citrus fruit, because we had never seen it until literally my last moments of watching G2.

Curious little Luna. Picture courtesy of Daniel Kr. Thanks!

I had the opportunity to watch G2 during my time in Santa Cruz and immediately fell in love with this group. My first day watching them, I was getting familiar with my new territory, part of which sits on the organic dump for the botanical garden in the front of the park. Needless to say it’s not the prettiest patch of forest. In G2’s territory, I quickly became familiar with climbing over piles of plant and tree clippings, cutting trails, and keeping an eye out for ticks. During my time with G2, I snagged a nest of ticks on 3 different occasions (literally a ball of ticks that brushes off a leaf and quickly spreads into hundreds of tiny-blood-sucking-specks climbing up your pant leg), and came home with at least a few hitchhikers on a regular basis. Needless to say I got very good at spotting tiny ticks among my many freckles and moles J Now, I don’t want to scare prospective volunteers: it wasn’t that bad, and the ticks in South America don’t carry lime disease… or at least that’s what I hear. Plus, you are rewarded with the opportunity to watch the beautiful, friendly, affectionate family of G2.

While looking for Vanessito and his new mate, Isabel, on my first day, I was only looking for two monkeys. However, after watching Vanessito and Isabel hanging out and tail twining for a bit, two young titi monkeys came to join them. I was thoroughly confused at the time, but after discussion with Kim, we came to the conclusion that Vanessito probably adopted these offspring when he joined up with Isabel. Over the next few months, the group was so fun to watch. Most of the time, they hung out in “twos” with Vanessito and Isabel staying close, followed by Sol and Luna. This led me to naming the offspring Sol and Luna, meaning “sun” and “moon” in Spanish. Not only are the sun and moon important to the native cultures of South America, but also wherever Sol went, Luna usually followed, just like the moonrise follows the sunset.

Vanessito, the male of the group, is the easiest to identify of the group. He is unmistakable, and in my opinion, the most handsome male in the park. His whole body is dark red, except for very white ears and a light tail base. His tail is also dark and has a distinct point at the end. He’s quite the lover and guarder, always staying close to Isabel and showering her and the offspring with affection quite often.

Isabel, the matriarch of the family, is a beautiful, confident, and sassy female. She’s quite red for a female, but appears more gray next to the dark and handsome Vanessito. She has pronounced black eyebrow markings, and her tail comes to a point at the end. She would readily join Vanessito to defend their territory and was not hesitant to approach other groups in “calling battles.” The funniest interactions between Isabel and Vanessito were when Vanessito would lie down next to her wanting to be groomed. She would look at him, decide that she’d rather be groomed instead, and lie down next to him asking for a groom. Vanessito would respond to her request, groom her, and then try again to be groomed. However, Isabel would usually get her way, being groomed several times in a row, rarely returning the favor.

Sol, the older of the two offspring is a female subadult. She is about the same size as Isabel, but more gray. Her most defining features are her big, downward-slanting, “sad-looking” eyes. Because of her age, she is quite independent but has not left her family group yet. However, after watching her behavior with Vanessito, it was clear that she is definitely reaching adulthood and will probably be leaving the group within the next year. Because Sol is reaching sexual maturity and Vanessito is most likely not her biological father, I saw some sexual tension between the two during this breeding season. On a few different occasions I observed Vanessito sniffing her genital region (an affiliative behavior). Gross, I know, especially because Sol is Vanessito’s step-daughter, but it was a very interesting dynamic to watch. Because of the attention that Vanessito was giving to Sol, she became a threat to Isabel, and I saw a few fights between mother and daughter. This makes me think that Sol will be kicked out of the group soon.

Luna is also a female, the youngest of the group, and was probably born in the fall of 2009, making her a juvenile. She is the grayest of the group, and her coat is a little more “spikey” than the others. She has a small, cute face with close-set-eyes and pronounced eyebrow markings like her mother, giving her the appearance that her eyes slant upwards slightly. She is very friendly and curious, coming very close to say “hi” to me sometimes.

In my final days of watching G2, I finally saw some mating between Vanessito and Isabel. This was so exciting after months of watching their family drama unfold. I can’t wait to hear of how their family unit develops this coming fall (baby season).

TitiTales: GE: living amongst people

GE lives in the Northern portion of Yvaga Guazu, amid the fruit trees, above the school children and, often, beyond the fences. Elena, Vicente, Pedro and Denito can be quite the entertaining four-some to watch and the territory in which they maintain can provide their observers with some unique dynamics. Although GE has a large territory within the park they often spent hours feeding or resting in trees beyond the eastern, northwestern and southwestern fence boundaries and vocalizations were not always a daily behavior. Hanging out beyond the fences resulted in quite a bit of out-of-view time, or missed fecal samples for me, but they seemed to have patterns in which you could predict where you might encounter them.  One very prevalent dynamic for any observer watching GE is the interaction with staff and the groups of school children while observing or looking for GE. This dynamic is great for interacting with Bolivians, practicing Spanish and sharing titi facts; however it is not so great for data collection. Often groups of school kids walked noisily past or roaring chainsaws muffled vocalizations. An observer of GE must be patient and willing to chat with school groups and park staff.  Although GE has a lot of exposure to human disturbances, their behaviors in response to human presence were not always of a fearful nature. Often GE would continue feeding, rest vigilantly or slowly move away, while other times the group would quite obviously change behaviors (e.g. terminate vocalization, flee) in response to the peopl

Pedro has become quite big, and still remains very gray leading me to wonder if he is not actually “Pedra”. Denito is also growing quickly and when GE and G1 have a vocalization bout, he is not afraid to help out by displaying pilo erection and back arching, very humorous to watch! Typically, however, Pedro and Denito play while Elena and Vicente take care of all vocalizing matters.

On one particularly windy day, before I had located the group, I heard a solo call coming from the far northwest edge of their territory.  Something did not sound quite right, the voice was scratchy and the notes were inconsistent- could this be a “strange monkey”? When I located the solo caller, I found little Denito sitting in the mid story calling in search of the group. Apparently, in the high winds, he had become separated from the group and was actively trying to relocate the family. Denito would call for a few minutes and then move quickly through the high canopy, stop, call again and repeat. After around 20 minutes Vicente approached while calling (Elena and Pedro soon to follow) and the group was reunited.  There were several days with high winds and strong gusts and it was not uncommon to watch as Denito lost contact with the group as he lingered at the feeding trees, but quickly re-established proximity. GE is an adorable family group, and after months of daily follows, one becomes quite invested in the group they are assigned. I look forward to hearing how the group dynamics of GE change through the seasons!

Vicente and Denito sitting tail-twined.

 

 

Vicente keeping a close eye me.

Elena

 

 

 

Perdo, always a bit curious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our newest titi family, G2

Video credit: Daniel Krumberg

Vanessito and juvenile, Luna

I would like to introduce everyone to our newest habituated family of titi monkeys, G2. We’ve actually know its patriarch, Vanessito, since he was a weanling.  He is one of the offspring of the neighboring G3 and now resides in the territory adjacent to his brother, Casanova. He is dramatic in color, with striking bright red/orange pelage and a pronounced black eye-stripe, and personality and was thus named after my long time project coordinator and dear friend, Vanessa Sandoval.  His partner/mate is new to our study animals and I’ve named her Isabel after Isabel Allende because of her fiery personality. Isabel is largely grey with a reddish orange crown and black eye mask. Perhaps her most unique feature, however, is her pale/fleshy colored perineal region. Normally it is black in titi monkeys. Dirty old lady?! To some, perhaps, but any distinguishing feature will do when trying to identify seemingly, at least initially, indistinguishable monkeys.

Tight coordination of daily activities (traveling, feeding, resting, vocalizing, etc.) is a hallmark feature of this genus. The more coordinated the pair the more successful at defending/maintaining a territory and perhaps even at rearing offspring. This takes practice though. New pairs are certainly not as good at it as established ones. The awkwardness and tension between Vanessito and Isabel was apparent this breeding season as they struggled to establish their pair bond and position in the wider community of titis. Vanessito appeared to be investing more in pair bond maintenance, more frequently grooming and appeasing the somewhat reluctant and jittery Isabel. This is expected though as it was the breeding season and Vanessito needed to demonstrate his willingness to invest in and commit to not only in his mate but the pair bond itself and potential offspring. If you’re a female titi or human for that matter, it pays to be choosy!

I spent most of my visit recording their loud calls (duets). Duets being widely defined as coordinated vocal interactions between a mated pair. Titi duets are rather complex and one would expect greater coordination with greater pair familiarity. During my stay, mid-February to mid-March (early breeding season), the pair called much less frequently than neighboring groups and tended to engage largely in type 2 duet bouts, a less threatening  and easier to produce signal (see above). I’ve yet to analyze the recordings, but my bet is they are less synchronized than those of established pairs, those together at least one reproductive season.

Vanessito took on not only a mate this year but also apparently adopted her subadult and juvenile offspring. This is awaiting genetic confirmation though. Kimber, my research assistant assigned to follow this group, named the sub-adult Sol (Spanish for sun) and juvenile Luna (Spanish for moon). Lovely names I think. She is now much more acquainted with this group than I am and I'm sure she’ll give us an update, with nice photos of both Sol and Luna, as soon as she returns from her travels. Kimber has only recently finished her work on the titi project and is now traveling Bolivia and Peru. Hope you're having a great time!

Isabel enjoying a mouth-full of palm fruit

Breeding Season 2011

Our 2011 breeding season kicked off in typical fashion with the welcoming of new field assistants and departing of old ones. A former field assistant asked on her Facebook status relatively recently whether or not goodbyes ever get easier. My response “NEVER!” While the norm for those of us involved in field work or travel generally, I’ve never found it easy. It's interesting how we bond with fellow field workers even after a short period of time; often developing a closer relationship than with those we’ve known for years. Perhaps attributed to the strangers in a strange land effect; sharing of odd discomforts (pinhead sized ticks in unwelcomed places, countless mosquito bites, tummy bugs, etc.)? Whatever the cause something funny, as unusual, happens to us in these circumstances.

This season we said goodbye to Sharon Schillewaert, a 6 month veteran of the project. I am grateful and we are all fortunate to have had her with us the first 10 days or so of the field season. She was invaluable in helping me train the new crew and also pitched in to help them navigate the metropolis of Santa Cruz. We wish her well on her new adventure, for she departed for Spain to work on a bird project just a week after leaving Bolivia. She certainly has a passion for field work. Many thanks! You’re certainly missed.

Sharon was replaced by 2 highly competent and motivated field biologists, Meagan (Meg) Selvig and Kimberly (Kimber) Banta. They are still in Bolivia and working hard on the project. In addition to the normal routine, they have taken aboard many extras like creating a titi monkey education sheet for the park guides at Yvaga Guazu, working on independent research project on titi sleeping sites, creating a botanical guide and surveying our new field site, Porongo (more on this in an upcoming blog).

Yuvinka Gareca, a well-respected Bolivian entomologist and dear friend, resumed her position as project manager. She is invaluable in helping and guiding me on the logistics of the project (e.g. permits, visas, transportation) and in organizing the “extras” (botanical training for the field assistants, Spanish lessons, etc.).  Thank you, Yuvy. It’s wonderful to have you back!

The field work, at least my stint of it, progressed slowly. Orientation to the 2 field sites went well but that was immediately followed by a cold, rainy spell which delayed training for nearly a week. Field work was once again delayed by Carnaval. Carnaval is the festival that takes place the eight days preceding Ash Wednesday. While generally a religious festival in the highlands it is a huge street party in Santa Cruz where the spraying of paint is one of the main features. For me the most exciting thing about Carnaval is the gathering of costumes. This year, in order to avoid the body painting, I opted to only participate in our Carnaval parrillada. While a lively and exciting event it does little to advance field work. Most normal operations shut down and transportation is difficult if not impossible to find (taxi drivers are drunk or hung over from the night before). We survived Carnaval, however, and the next few weeks proved fruitful. Meg and Kimber took up regular follows of their assigned titi groups, GE and G2, and I moved ahead with playback experiments.

Overall my visit was a success and my dedicated crew have stayed on to run things in my absence. Kimber and Meg's stay in Bolivia is sadly coming to an end soon. I'm sure they'll fill us in on monkey business before they leave though.

Here are some of the non-monkey highlights of my trip:

Our first day in the field

Sharon preparing for Carnaval

Post shopping celebration

Steffen and Yuvy enjoying our Carnaval Parrillada

Daniel at his best

Sushi preparation for Oscar night