CONSERVATION STATUS
CITES:
Appendix II (http://www.cites.org)
IUCN Red List:
LC (http://www.redlist.org)
In the wild, black spider monkeys are widespread and abundant and are not
currently threatened with extinction. They are categorized as Least Concern
by the IUCN and their trade is permitted but regulated by CITES. Despite their
apparent abundance in the wild, there are several factors that could result in
a negative change in status in the future including habitat destruction,
over-hunting, and decreased rate of population growth.
CONSERVATION THREATS & POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
Threat: Human Induced Habitat Loss and Degradation
While they are not currently pressured by habitat loss, black spider monkeys
are habitat specialists that require undisturbed,
primary forest.
They are not successful at living in areas that have been previously logged or
disturbed and actively avoid edge habitats
(Mittermeier & van Roosmalen 1981). Furthermore, they need large tracts of
undisturbed forests because of their large body size and
frugivorous
diet (Lehman 2004b). It is clear that lack of appropriate habitat can seriously
threaten black spider monkeys, and efforts protecting large areas of forest from
human disturbance and degradation should continue (Rylands & Keuroghlian 1988).
Threat: Harvesting (hunting/gathering)
Because of their large body size, all species of spider monkeys are prized by
hunters (Rylands & Keuroghlian 1988). While the rate of hunting is
currently not threatening black spider monkeys in their range, the combination
of habitat loss and growing human population seeking
bushmeat
could create a crisis for black spider monkeys as has been seen among other
species such as A. hybridus, A. belzebuth, and A. marginatus
(www.redlist.org). In areas where hunting occurs,
the population density of black spider monkeys is lower compared to areas where
hunting does not occur (de Thoisy et al. 2005). There is a direct link between
hunting and population decrease in black spider monkeys and because of a number
of intrinsic factors, they cannot sustain high levels of hunting (Rylands &
Keuroghlian 1988). Full protection under the law is afforded to black spider
monkeys in French Guiana and hunting restrictions have prevented population
declines (de Thoisy et al. 2005).
Threat: Intrinsic Factors
Several factors contribute to slow reproductive rates and slow population growth
of black spider monkeys. Black spider monkeys have long periods of
gestation,
reach reproductive maturity at an older age, a longer period of infant dependence,
and increased interbirth intervals
compared to other primates of similar size. This results in a slow intrinsic
rate of population growth. While they are currently not threatened, these
factors indicate that if a population were to be reduced significantly, it
would take a long time for it to recover and the possibility exists that if
reduced to small enough numbers, the population could not rebound (McFarland
Symington 1988; Rylands & Keuroghlian 1988).
LINKS TO MORE ABOUT CONSERVATION
CONSERVATION INFORMATION
CONSERVATION NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN Ateles paniscus CONSERVATION
Content last modified: April 10, 2007
Written by Kristina Cawthon Lang. Reviewed by Dionisios Youlatos.
Cite this page as:
Cawthon Lang KA. 2007 April 10. Primate Factsheets: Black spider monkey (Ateles paniscus) Conservation. <http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/black_spider_monkey/cons>. Accessed 2008 July 4.
