Lemurine Night Monkey

The gray-bellied night monkey (Aotus lemurinus), also called the grey-legged douroucouli or lemurine owl monkey, is a small New World monkey of the family Aotidae. Native to tropical and subtropical forests of South America, the gray-bellied night monkey faces a significant threat from hunting, harvesting for use in pharmaceutical research and habitat destruction. == Taxonomy == There have been up to four subspecies of the gray-bellied night monkey. All but the nominate subspecies have been elevated to full species rank. The three species formally considered subspecies are: Brumback's night monkey, Aotus brumbacki Gray-handed night monkey, Aotus griseimembra Panamanian night monkey, Aotus zonalis Additionally, Hershkovitz's night monkey Aotus hershkovitzi is now considered to be a junior synonym for A. lemurinus. == Description == Like other members of their genus, this species is nocturnal; its small, round head is striped with black and is dominated by two large, brown eyes. The overall effect is not unlike an owl; the monkey's eyes shine a reddish orange by reflected light. Its white eyebrows are bushy, with a patch of darker fur between them. Its grey fur is described as dense and woolly, with the animal's underside being yellow to orange in colour. Its brownish…