As a point of interest, what then would be your opinion of the population in the Iraq marshes which I think has now been confirmed as still extant?
Have they? Good to hear - I had assumed, as I suspect Maguari did considering his omission of the taxa from those he mentioned, that L.p.maxwelli was now extinct. If extant, they are certainly distinct.
I have still to visit this zoo, but at the rate it keeps adding new species it will soon have one of the biggest cat collections in the UK! Certainly puts several major zoos to shame!
Happy tidings...Al-Sheikhly, O.F. and Nader, I.A. (2013). The Status of Iraq Smooth-Coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli Hayman 1956 and Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra Linnaeus 1758 in Iraq IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 30 (1): 18 - 30
Very good news if these are still extant; I was being deliberately cagey (hence 'confirmed extant subspecies'!) as I wasn't sure. (still only one subspecies in SE Asia though!)
I visited Wingham a couple of weeks ago for the first time. Very nice atmosphere you almost forget the superb species that it has because they all seem to fit in to the place so well. For a little park, I was very impressed. Best wishes to them in the future, I just hope they don't expand TOO quickly!
Winghams Facebook page is reporting the arrival of three unrelated pairs of spix's night monkey! Interesting!
Thanks for sharing Al! Sure is an interesting species … and I think it might be a first for Europe (???). Will have to check that before I do say I think so.
Wow - that is very nice indeed! As Marwell is the studbook holding for the two major species found in Europe, I wonder whether they are intended to eventually get a pair. This of course brings the total of night monkey species in the UK to three - talking of which, I *have* to get down to Leeds to see their elderly Bolivians before too long!
@TLD, really there is so much diversity even in Aotus species!!! I remember years ago when it was first put that night monkeys were actually different species and how much difficulty zoos had to get them to breed or when they did effectively had hybrids.
The night monkeys might actually be one of the primate genera - outside of the marmosets and tamarins - with the most species diversity within Europe. Grey-handed Night Monkey (Aotus griseimembra) is held by 21 collections, 6 of which are in the UK. Humboldt's night monkey (Aotus trivirgatus) is held by a single collection. Nancy Ma's Night Monkey (Aotus nancymaae) is held by a single collection. Bolivian Night Monkey (Aotus azarae boliviensis) is held by 13 collections, one of which is in the UK. And now Spix's night monkey (Aotus vociferans) is held by a single collection, which is in the UK.
Dr Nancy Shui-Fong Ma: she worked at the New England Regional Primate Research Centre and specialised in the genetics of Aotus. (thanks to Messrs Beolens, Watkins and Grayson)
Something I have now done got some pretty nice photos too considering the fact they are kept in nocturnal lighting. http://www.zoochat.com/1167/bolivian-night-monkey-aotus-azarae-boliviensis-350134/ http://www.zoochat.com/1167/bolivian-night-monkey-aotus-azarae-boliviensis-350133/
