A green racer snake (Philodryas nattereri, Colubridae) killed but not eaten by a blonde capuchin monkey (Sapajus flavius, Cebidae).

We report the killing of a snake (Philodryas nattereri, Colubridae) by a blonde capuchin monkey (Sapajus flavius, Cebidae). This endemic primate species from the northeast of Brazil includes vertebrates such as lizards and marsupials in its diet, but we can find no previously published record of an attack upon or consumption of snakes by this species of platyrhine monkey. During the attack, the group mobbed the snake, with individuals uttering agonistic vocalizations and displaying behaviors such as raising their tails, moving tree branches, piloerecting, and baring their teeth. An adult male monkey seized the snake, bit and twisted its body, thereby killing it; he then dropped the carcass onto tree branches, but did not consume it. This single event suggests that this Cebidae species may be able to distinguish dangerous from harmless snakes, and it also may be an example of a lethally violent reaction to a potential predator or competitor, exemplifying the plasticity and cognitive skills exhibited by genus Sapajus.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Sapajus flavius（Blonde Capuchin）.

Sapajus flavius has been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Sapajus flavius is presented here first, sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS). The Sapajus flavius mitogenome is 16,543 bp long, contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and one control region (D-loop). The complete mitochondrial genome sequence provided here could help in the study of ecological and evolutionary research of Sapajus and conservation genetics of S .flavius.

Seroprevalence of selected flaviviruses in free-living and captive capuchin monkeys in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever and, more recently, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) have a great impact in the public health. In addition, the presence of such viruses might have an impact on wild animal conservation as well as their possible role as animal reservoir. Here, we performed a serological survey searching for antibodies against a panel of flaviviruses [ZIKV, Dengue virus (DENV), Yellow Fever virus (YFV), West Nile virus (WNV), Saint Louis Encephalitis virus (SLEV), Ilheus virus (ILHV) and Rocio virus (ROCV)] using plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT90 ) in both free-ranging and captive capuchin monkeys (Sapajus flavius and Sapajus libidinosus). Captive and free-living monkeys were sampled between June 2015 and January 2016 in the state of Pernambuco, including in the border with State of Paraíba, the epicentre of the ZIKV epidemics in Brazil. We have found neutralizing antibodies for ZIKV, DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4, YFV, ILHV and SLEV in both S. flavius and S. libidinosus samples. No positives samples were found for ROCV and WNV. Our results suggest that these flaviviruses might be circulating in capuchin monkey in the studied region. The possible presence of these viruses represents a risk for public health, as well as for animal conservation, especially for S. flavius which is a critically endangered species, facing high risk of extinction.

Isolation and genotyping of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile in Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus spp.) / Isolamento e genotipagem de Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile em macacos-prego (Sapajus spp.)

ABSTRACT: The importance of Clostridium perfringens and C. difficile for most wild animal species remains unclear. This study aimed to isolate and genotype C. perfringens and C. difficile in stool samples from free-living and captive capuchin monkeys (Sapajus flavius and Sapajus libidinosus) in Brazil. Ten free-living S. flavius and 14 captive S. libidinosus were sampled for this study. To isolate C. difficile, stool samples were inoculated on plates containing cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar supplemented with horse blood and sodium taurocholate. Two different protocols for C. perfringens isolation were tested: direct plating onto selective agar and enrichment in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth followed by plating onto selective agar. C. difficile was not detected in the present study. The results were identical for both protocols tested for isolation of C. perfringens. Four samples (16.7%) were positive for C. perfringens type A, including one sample from a free-living animal (4.2%) and three from captive animals (12.5%), meaning there was no significant difference between these two groups. C. perfringens isolates were negative for all additional virulence factors evaluated, including enterotoxin encoding-gene (cpe) and beta-2 encoding-gene (cpb2). These results suggested that C. perfringens type A is found in the microbiota of capuchin monkeys, although it is less frequent than previously reported in domestic animals.

RESUMO: A importância de Clostridium perfringens e C. difficile para a maioria das espécies silvestres ainda não está clara. O objetivo do presente estudo foi isolar e genotipar C. perfringens e C. difficile em amostras de fezes de macacos-prego (Sapajus flavius e Sapajus libidinosus) de vida livre e criados em cativeiros no Brasil. Dez S. flavius de vida livre e 14 S. libidinosus de cativeiro foram incluídos no presente estudo. Para isolamento de C. difficile, as amostras de fezes foram inoculadas em agar cicloserina-cefoxitina frutose, suplementado com sangue e taurocolato de sódico. Para isolamento de C. perfringens, foram testados dois protocolos: plaqueamento direto em ágar seletivo e enriquecimento em caldo seguido de plaqueamento em ágar seletivo. C difficile não foi detectado no presente estudo. Os resultados foram idênticos para ambos os protocolos testados para isolamento de C. perfringens, resultando em quatro animais (16,7%) positivos para C. perfringens tipo A. Destes, uma amostra era de um animal de vida livre (4,2%) e três de animais de cativeiro (12,5%), não havendo diferença entre esses dois grupos. Os isolados de C. perfringens foram negativos para todos os fatores de virulência adicionais avaliados, incluindo o gene codificador de enterotoxina (cpe) e o gene codificador beta-2 (cpb2). O presente estudo sugere C. perfringens tipo A como parte da microbiota de macacos-prego, embora esse agente seja menos frequente como comensal, do que relatado anteriormente, em animais domésticos.

Ulcerative and granulomatous enteritis associated with Molineus torulosus parasitism in neotropical primates / Enterite ulcerativa e granulomatosa com parasitismo de Molineus torulosus em primatas neotropicais

This paper reports eleven cases of ulcerative and granulomatous enteritis associated with Molineus torulosus parasitism in different species of neotropical primates of the Sapajus genus. All of the affected monkeys had been apprehended by the environmental police and were being treated in a rehabilitation center for wild animals. The clinical history was weight loss and debility. During the necropsy, several nodules were found on the duodenum and proximal jejunum wall, with ulcers on the adjacent intestinal mucosa, including the nodules in the pancreas of four monkeys. Histologically, eosinophilic granulomas were observed in the small intestine, associated with fibrosis, eggs and adult models of Trichostrongylidae, etiology consistent with Molineus torulosus. This study describes the first cases of parasitism in Sapajus flavius, a species previously considered extinct, but recently rediscovered, and presents the occurrence of M. torulosus in two other species, Sapajus libidinosus and Sapajus apella.(AU)

São relatados 11 casos de enterite ulcerativa e granulomatosa associada ao parasitismo por Molineus torulosus em diferentes espécies de primatas neotropicais do gênero Sapajus. Todos os macacos afetados haviam sido apreendidos pela polícia ambiental e estavam sendo tratados em um centro de reabilitação de animais silvestres. O histórico clínico era de emagrecimento e debilidade. Durante a necropsia, foram constatados diversos nódulos na parede do duodeno e jejuno proximal, com úlceras na mucosa intestinal adjacente, além de nódulos no pâncreas de quatro macacos. Histologicamente, observou-se no intestino delgado, granulomas eosinofílicos associados à fibrose, ovos e exemplares adultos de tricostrongilídeos, etiologia consistente com Molineus torulosus. O presente trabalho descreve os primeiros casos de parasitismo em Sapajus flavius, uma espécie antes considerada extinta e recentemente redescoberta, e relata a ocorrência de M. torulosus em outras duas espécies, Sapajus libidinosus e Sapajus apella.(AU)

Descrição morfológica de duas espécies de Sapajus encontradas na Paraíba: S. libidinosus e o recém-redescoberto e já criticamente ameaçado S. flavius / Morphological description of two species of Sapajus found in Paraíba: S. libidinosus and the newly discovered and endangered S. flavius

Sapajus flavius e S. libidinosus são duas espécies de macacos-prego encontrados no Estado da Paraíba. S. flavius ou macaco-prego-galego foi recentemente redescoberto e está criticamente ameaçado de extinção, sendo encontrado em fragmentos remanescentes de mata Atlântica do litoral do RN, PB, PE e AL. S. libidinosus tem uma distribuição e população maior, coexistindo de S. flavius na PB, entretanto, ocupando o oeste da PB, na caatinga. Frente à lacuna no conhecimento sobre estas espécies foi realizada a descrição morfológica das mesmas, envolvendo biometria externa, dos órgãos do trato gastrointestinal, topografia visceral e a descrição anatômica. Apesar da literatura descrever S. flavius como o menor dos Sapajus, concluímos que não há diferenças morfológicas entre as espécies estudadas. Tais informações servem de subsídios para melhores manejos visando a conservação das espécies e ajudando na classificação taxonômica desse gênero recentemente modificado.

Sapajus flavius and S. libidinosus are two species of capuchin monkeys found in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. S. flavius or Macgrave's capuchin monkey was recently rediscovered and is now critically endangered, found only in remaining fragments of Atlantic forest in the coastal region of the Brazian Northeast. S. libidinosus has a larger population and distribution, coexisting with S. flavius in Paraíba, however living in the western part of the state, in the semi-arid. Since there is a lack of knowledge about these species, a morphologic description of them was made, involving external and gastrointestinal tract biometry, visceral topography and anatomic description. Although the literature describes S. flavius as the smaller monkey of the Sapajus genus, we conclude that there are no morphological differences between these species. Such information contributes to best management practices for conservation of the species and to the correct taxonomic classification of the genus recently modified.