Sakis

Sakis Pithecia

There are four species of Sakis and many, many subspecies. There is little known about the Saki Pithecia due to short observation time, the longest of which we read about was three hours. Much of the information that we found seemed controversial, but we’ll try to organize it and explain it the best we can.

SPECIFICS

Species Other Names HBL(cm) TL(cm) WT(kg)

Pithecia Pithecia White-faced Saki Female 33.5 34-43.5 1.5-1.9

White-headed Saki Male 33-37.5 35-44.5 1.9-2.1

P. Monachus Red-bearded Saki Female 40.4 45 2.2

Monk Saki Male 40-44 45-47 2.5

Hairy Saki

P. Albicans Buffy Saki Female 36.5-40.5 40.5-45.5 ?

White Saki Male 40-41 42-44 ?

P. Hirsuta Black-bearded Saki Female 38-46 40-48 ?

Male 38-44 44-50 ?

Specific to Saki Pithecia pithecia:

Coat:

Females have brown-brown gray fur
With white-pale brown stripes around the corners of the nose and mouth
This hair is shorter
Males have black fur
With white reddish forehead, face, and throat

Habitat:

Guianas and Northeastern Brazil
They like the understory and lower canopy levels

General to the Saki family:

Physical Description:

Coat:

Fur is coarse and the hairs are very long
Tail is long and bushy
Cheeks and forehead is covered by broad mask of stiff hair which is yellowish-white to ochre-yellow in the male
The female has shorter hair and it is black with white stripe on each side of the nose
Except for the pale-headed Saki-- whose wig-like forehead fringe is absent and the central part of the face around the eyes, nose, and mouth is black and almost naked
Usually the fur is dusky gray or blackish brown
Individual hairs often have silvery, yellow, or ochre colored tips
The back of the hand is either black or white
Yet overall there is incredible variation

Other:

Frontal thyroid cartilage of the larynx is enlarged as a resonating chamber

Brain Size:

2cc-1000cc
80gm according to Body Size/Brain Size

Locomotion:

Aboreal—they jump from limb to limb
They have tremendous jumping abilities
When they walk they walk on two legs with their arms up in the air

Longevity:

12-15yrs in captivity
12-25yrs in the wild

Geographic Location:

Rainforest of Central South America
From the Orinoco river north of the Amazon to the Guianas and around upper Amazon
Except for the White-nosed Saki which is restricted to an area South of the Amazon between the rivers Madeira and Xingu
Some live south of Brazil
Others live in eastern Colombia, Southern Venezuela

Ecology:

Habitat:

The White-faced Sakis is most commonly seen in the understory and lower canopy levels
All live in the trees, only the levels vary
Some like high rain forests that flood
Others like dryer forests
Some like savannas

Other living standards:

Careful diet
High degree of humidity
Large space for movement

Home Range:

Generally extremely large home ranges

Day Range:

They may travel several kilometers in a day

Population Density:

Small groups of 2-5 individuals
Some may live in large social groups of up to 50 individuals
Sometimes individual groups join together

Diet:

Some are very specific and stick to fruits and seeds
Generally they eat berries, nuts, leaves, other plant material, small birds, other mammals (bats), grasshoppers, and mealworms

Techniques:

They use hind limb suspension when eating
They forage alone during the day unless food is scarce then they forage in small groups
They are greedy eaters
They take as much food as possible into their hands and toes and eat quickly, looking around for more
They drink by putting their hands in the water and sucking fluid from the cupped hands
They also suck the water off their fur

Social Organization:

Group Size:

They move in pairs or small family groups
Sometimes individual groups will combine

Composition:

Mother, father, and any young offspring

Male-female transfer:

They secrete a tangerine like scent

Foraging Parties:

Unless there is lack of food, they forage alone and eat alone

Aggression:

Some rage if their "beards" are wet but they are easily tamed
They are very passive animals

Intelligence:

They don’t use tools or manipulate objects in their environment
All of their movements are deliberate
They use a coughing call to communicate
When alarmed they use a long drown out yell
They cup their hands to drink water
They are hesitant when climbing down trees. Like humans they make sure each step/tree limb is secure

Reproduction:

They are monogamous

Birth Seasonality:

Unknown

Male/female age of sexual maturity:

Males 3yrs and females 2yrs

Gestation Length:

163-176 days----Known for the White-faced Saki

Litter Size:

1 young per birth

Interbirth Interval:

Unknown

Parental Care:

Relationships between mothers and offspring exists up to a year or two after the birth of the next infant

Infanticide?:

Topics of Special Interest:

When young the offspring cling to their mothers’ belly—this is unusual for most New World monkeys which sit on their mothers’ back
They drink by soaking their hands in water and licking it
If you were to put water on their beard the monkey would start to rage, but they are easily tamed
They are characterized by their unusual dental specialization’s
They have robust incisors and canines to open seed cases and their broad, flat molars for crushing fruits and seeds

Cristina, Evan, Kelly, Lain, John, Jamie

Bibliography Page

Euclid, Smith O. "Social Play in Primates." Academia Press, Inc. 1978

Fleagle, John G. "Primate Adaptation & Evolution." Academic Press, Inc. New York.1988. 120-123

Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. Dr.Dr.h.c. Bernhard Grzimek. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1972: 136-138, 172, 332-335

The International Wildlife Encyclopedia. Volume 15. Page. 2010

Macmillan Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia. Page 62

Sanderson, Ivan T. "The Monkey Kingdom." Double Day & Co. Inc. Ganden City, New York