CR

Southern Muriqui

Brachyteles arachnoides

Declining

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Southern Muriqui faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive Atlantic Forest destruction, with over 95% of its original habitat lost to agriculture, logging, and urban development. Habitat fragmentation isolates remaining populations in small forest patches, preventing genetic exchange and reducing breeding success. Hunting pressure, though reduced, continues to impact local populations, while the species' slow reproductive rate of one offspring every three years severely limits recovery potential.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Southern Muriqui inhabits primary and secondary Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) in southeastern Brazil, preferring tall canopy forests with continuous tree cover for their arboreal lifestyle. They require large territories of intact forest with diverse tree species that provide year-round food sources including leaves, fruits, and flowers.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservationLegislationPolicies and regulations

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Southern Muriqui classified as Critically Endangered?
Southern Muriqui is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Southern Muriqui faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive Atlantic Forest destruction, with over 95% of its original habitat lost to agriculture, logging, and urban development. Habitat fragmentation isolates remaining populations in small forest patches, preventing genetic exchange and reducing breeding success. Hunting pressure, though reduced, continues to impact local populations, while the species' slow reproductive rate of one offspring every three years severely limits recovery potential.
Where does Southern Muriqui live?
Southern Muriqui occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Southern Muriqui?
The main threats to Southern Muriqui are 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, and 5.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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