Golden-faced Saki

• Common Name: Golden-faced Saki
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1850
• Monkey Size: 31.7 to 40.6 cm (12.5 to 16 in)
• Skin Color(s): Black
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Brazil

The golden-faced saki^[1] (Pithecia chrysocephala) is a New World Monkey found on the northern side of the Amazon on both sides of the Rio Negro in Brazil.

• The species gets its name from the coloration of the male, which has black hair but orange or auburn facial hair.
• The female is lighter in body color and has bald skin on the face, with orange hairlines extending around the snout under the eyes and orange peritoneum.
• The golden-faced saki has a smaller, less spherical, less prognathic cranial vault than the white-faced saki.

• This species was previously classified as a subspecies of white-faced saki (Pithecia pithecia) but was upgraded to full species status in 2014.
• These sakis live in small groups of 2 to 4 individuals. However, larger groups of 6 or more individuals, possibly including more than one adult breeding female or male, have been reported.
• They have loud vocal calls to establish a territory, typically performed in pairs by monogamous females and males.
• The males rub their chests against the trees. They typically choose trees with edible fruit to excite the females and try to stimulate courtship behavior during the breeding season.
• When a terrestrial predator such as the red-tailed boas is in the vicinity, golden-faced sakis first emit an alarm call. They will then team up and attack the predator, hoping to scare it away.