Abstract

CONTRERAS-IBARRA, A. et al. Alouatta palliata and Alouatta seniculus oestrus: a review. Rev. Med. Vet. Zoot. [online]. 2023, vol.70, n.3, e6.  Epub Apr 18, 2024. ISSN 0120-2952.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rfmvz.v70n3.107133.

The Colombian red howler monkey (A. seniculus) and mantled howler monkey (A. palliata) are representatives of the genus Alouatta in Colombia and according to IUCN (for its name in Spanish) analysis their populations tend to decrease due to multiple factors. This suggests the need to guide actions for their conservation, which requires knowledge of their reproductive dynamics, such as the identification and characterization of the estrous cycle. Papers were examined under the criteria Alouatta seniculus, Alouatta paliatta, Alouatta, estrus cycle, and reproduction in Scielo, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Wiley, Science Direct, and SpringerLink. 15 articles, 4 books, 4 master's theses and 1 monograph were found; these studies addressed aspects of sexual behaviors, changes in genitalia and hormone measurement. The studies have established an average cycle length for A. seniculus of 17 and 29.5 ±1.5 days, thus showing a wide range compared to what was found for A. palliata where the studies evidenced a cycle length of 16.3, 15.52 ±4.88 and 16.08 ±4.27 days.

The conclusion is that some common aspects among the species are the seasonality of births during the dry season, the relevance of the male's social rank in copulation requests by females in estrus and some behaviors such as sniffing and genital licking during sexual receptivity. Likewise, it is necessary to conduct studies on Alouatta species in Colombia that not only address reproductive dynamics but also consider the influence of environmental and social factors on them.

Keywords : howler monkey; reproduction; Alouatta seniculus; Alouattapalliata; hormones.

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