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 snub-nosed monkey species. The risk of extinction is therefore particularly high in this species, given the small overall population size and slow population recovery potential.