Potential self-medication by brown titi monkeys, Plecturocebus brunneus, in an urban fragment forest in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

In this study, we report fur-rubbing behavior of brown titi monkeys, Plecturocebus brunneus, using chewed leaves from (Fabaceae) and Piper tuberculatum (Piperaceae). These reports were obtained during systematic monitoring of titi monkeys from May until December 2019 (218 h) in an urban fragment forest in the Brazilian Amazon. Both plant species contain chemical substances in their leaves that potentially repel ectoparasites. The genus Piper is known for its repelling action due to the presence of amides, alkaloids and benzoic acid. The presence of dogs, cats and human settlements may contribute to an increase of ectoparasites, making a potential self-medication function of fur rubbing in this primate species plausible.