Primate Biology
Primate Biology
Primate Biology
Articles | Volume 4, issue 1
Articles | Volume 4, issue 1
Primate Biol., 4, 127–130, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/pb-4-127-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Primate Biol., 4, 127–130, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/pb-4-127-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 4, issue 1

Short communication 26 Jun 2017

Short communication | 26 Jun 2017

Fur-rubbing with Piper leaves in the San Martín titi monkey, Callicebus oenanthe

Rosario Huashuayo-Llamocca1,2 and Eckhard W. Heymann3 Rosario Huashuayo-Llamocca and Eckhard W. Heymann
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  • 1Proyecto Mono Tocón, Jr. Reyes Guerra No. 430, Moyobamba, Peru
  • 2Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga de Ica, Av. Los Maestros s/n, Ica, Peru
  • 3Verhaltensökologie und Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Received: 21 Apr 2017 – Revised: 29 May 2017 – Accepted: 30 May 2017 – Published: 26 Jun 2017

Abstract. We report observations on fur-rubbing with leaves from Piper aduncum by a San Martín titi monkey, Callicebus oenanthe. Fur-rubbing occurred during the transition from the dry to the rainy season in a titi monkey group living in a forest fragment in the Moyobamba region of Peru. Since Piper leaves include very potent compounds that may affect ectoparasites, we tentatively interpret the observed fur-rubbing as self-medication.

How to cite. Huashuayo-Llamocca, R. and Heymann, E. W.: Fur-rubbing with Piper leaves in the San Martín titi monkey, Callicebus oenanthe, Primate Biol., 4, 127–130, https://doi.org/10.5194/pb-4-127-2017, 2017.
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Short summary
We report observations fur-rubbing with leaves from the spiked pepper plant, Piper aduncum, in the San Martín titi monkey, Callicebus oenanthe. As leaf extracts from this plant include insecticidal compounds, we interpret this behaviour as a defense against ectoparasites. Our observations expand the number of primate species for which this kind of self-medication is reported.
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