Pithecia chrysocephala I.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1850

Taxonomic Classification

The golden-faced saki, with the scientific name Pithecia chrysocephala, is a species of saki monkey, which is a type of New World monkey.

Distribution

It is found in Brazil, in the area north of the Amazon River, occurring on both sides of the Rio Negro.

Taxonomic History

This species was previously classified as a subspecies of the white-faced saki (P. pithecia), and was elevated to full species status in 2014.

Male Coloration

The species gets its name from the coloration of male individuals: males have black body hair, and orange or red-brown facial hair.

Female Coloration

Females have a lighter overall body color, more bare skin on the face, lines of orange hair that extend downward from below the eyes around the snout, and orange ventral fur.

Cranial Morphology

Compared to the white-faced saki, the golden-faced saki has a smaller cranial vault that is less prognathic and less spherical.