We are a troop of four.
Lolita and Chiquito were together briefly for the photo but he's never been around small infants, and she's too fragile and he's too strong for us to make a mistake. Technically though, they're both considered infants. We'll keep them apart for a while, although within sight of each other on occasion, and then introduce them to each other on neutral ground.
There are long periods of infant dependency of up to three years in wild populations of spider monkeys (van Roosmalen, 1985; Di Fiore and Campbell, 2007). Age classifications are infant < 2 years; juvenile 2 - 5 years; subadult 5 - 8 years; and adult > 8 years. Juveniles are distinguished from subadults as those always traveling with their mother. (Spider Monkeys: Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of the Genus Ateles, ed. Christina J. Campbell, 2008)
For now, both monkeys want to cling 24 x 7 to a warm body, and we're giving them that sense of security. Paul and Dave will alternate nights sleeping in the cage with Chiquito until the moving truck arrives on Saturday, and I'll wear Lolita in the house we're renting.
Lolita and Chiquito were together briefly for the photo but he's never been around small infants, and she's too fragile and he's too strong for us to make a mistake. Technically though, they're both considered infants. We'll keep them apart for a while, although within sight of each other on occasion, and then introduce them to each other on neutral ground.
There are long periods of infant dependency of up to three years in wild populations of spider monkeys (van Roosmalen, 1985; Di Fiore and Campbell, 2007). Age classifications are infant < 2 years; juvenile 2 - 5 years; subadult 5 - 8 years; and adult > 8 years. Juveniles are distinguished from subadults as those always traveling with their mother. (Spider Monkeys: Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of the Genus Ateles, ed. Christina J. Campbell, 2008)
For now, both monkeys want to cling 24 x 7 to a warm body, and we're giving them that sense of security. Paul and Dave will alternate nights sleeping in the cage with Chiquito until the moving truck arrives on Saturday, and I'll wear Lolita in the house we're renting.
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