title: Long-term effect of a simple nest-box on the reproductive efficiency and other life traits of an Aotus lemurinus lemurinus monkey colony: an animal model for malaria research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The long-term effect of a PVC pipe nest-box on the reproductive efficiency and other life traits of an Aotus monkey-breeding colony have not been characterized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed laboratory records of the Gorgas Memorial Institute (GMI) Aotus monkey colony in Panama for the period 1999-2010 and found a 273% increase in the annual mean life births in the following 7 years after the introduction of a PVC pipe nest-box in 2002, as well as increases in the mean body mass and survival of laboratory-bred monkeys. Other life traits such as inter-birth interval, parity, birth sex distribution, mortality, and longevity were also determined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of a PVC pipe nest-box significantly improved the reproductive efficiency and other life traits of the GMI Aotus breeding colony.
authors.affiliation: Antimalarial Drug and Vaccine Evaluation Center, Tropical Medicine Research, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Panama City, Panama. nobaldia@gorgas.gob.pa
authors.forename: Nicanor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Obaldia
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aparicio
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cisneros
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D016645:Aotidae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008288:Malaria; D008297:Male; D010176:Panama; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012098:Reproduction