Reproductive parameters in Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi)

Abstract

In this study, we present data on reproductive parameters and birth seasonality of Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi). Our analyses are based on data from a small captive population collected over 15 years and on 5 years of observations of free-ranging snub-nosed monkeys. Captive females (n = 4) mature at an age of 70.8±6.7 months and reproduce for the first time at 103.4±7.5 months. The mean interbirth interval was 38.2±4.4 months if the infant survived more than 6 months, which is longer than that in R. roxellana and R. bieti. In the wild and in captivity, births are very seasonal and occur only in a period from the end of March to the end of April. Our data suggest that population growth in Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys is slow compared with the other two Chinese snubnosed monkey species. The risk of extinction is therefore particularly high in this species, given the small overall population size and slow population recovery potential. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.