Mammals
Three-striped Night Monkey
Aotus trivirgatus · also called northern night monkey, owl monkey
As dusk falls in a South American rainforest, a three-striped night monkey wakes in its tree hole and peers out with enormous round eyes, a monkey that does its living in the dark.
Overview
The three-striped night monkey, Aotus trivirgatus, is a Least Concern monkey of northern South America. Its nocturnal habits, huge eyes, and father-carried infants make it one of the most unusual monkeys in the world.
A monkey for the night shift
While almost every other monkey sleeps at night, the night monkeys forage after dark, feeding on fruit, flowers, and insects.
Status
Least Concern, widespread across a large area of northern South America.
Three-striped Night Monkey: common questions
Why is it called the night monkey?
It belongs to the night monkeys, the only truly nocturnal monkeys, and is active after dark.
Why does it have such big eyes?
Its large, forward-facing eyes gather light for seeing at night.
Who carries the baby?
The male, who carries and cares for the infant for most of the time.
Where is the three-striped night monkey found?
It lives in rainforest in northern South America north of the Amazon.