Rich Hoyer · CC BY 2.0Azara's night monkey
Aotus azarae · ka'i pyhare
The region's only nocturnal monkey, with huge eyes; in the Chaco it is also active by day.
What it is
The mirikiná is a small monkey with gray-brown fur, white facial markings and large eyes adapted to darkness. It lives in stable pairs with its young and feeds on fruit, leaves, flowers and insects. Its scientific name honors the Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara. It inhabits the forests of the Humid and Dry Chaco, especially gallery forests.
Did you know…?
It is one of the few primates in which the father carries the baby almost all the time, from its first weeks of life.
Where
Gallery forests of the Humid and Dry Chaco (Defensores del Chaco) and the Pantanal. Look for it at dusk.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.