Monkeys are tree-dwelling animals known for their high level of intelligence as they belong to the order of primates. Though they are mostly arboreal, some dwell on land in the savannas and mountainous regions, the baboon being a primary example. The Old World and New World monkeys are primarily distinguished based on their physical features, particularly the structure of their nose.
Animalia | |
Chordata | |
Mammalia | |
Primates |
Animalia | |
Chordata | |
Mammalia | |
Primates |
There are about 24 genera and 138 species of the Old World monkeys, while the New World monkeys possess 19 genera and 100 species categorized into four families. The Old World monkeys are named so since they inhabit the Old World, comprising of the continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia. The New World species are the ones native to North and South America.
Size: The smallest species of monkeys are 6 inches long, while the bigger ones can have lengths of up to 36 inches.
Weight: The average weight of monkeys vary between 4 ounces and 77 pounds.
Color: Though brown and gray are the most standard colors, other shades include red, golden, and white individually or in combination.
Nose: The Old World monkeys have narrow noses with side-facing nostrils, while those belonging to the New World are flat-nosed.
Tail: The tails of the New World monkeys are long and grasping (prehensile), helping them to get a grip on objects, while the Old World species have short, non-grasping tails. There are also tailless monkeys like the Barbary macaques.
Legs: They have two legs like humans but cannot walk solely on them. Instead, they take the support of their big, black palm.
They exist throughout the continents of Africa, Asia, South America, and Central America.
As mentioned above, most of them live on trees, while there are also some ground-dwelling monkeys.
In the wild, monkeys live between 10 and 50 years on an average, whereas in captivity their lifespan could be longer. Bueno, a black spider monkey who passed away in 2005, lived till the age of
Their diet mainly comprises of nuts, seeds, fruits like bananas, roots, and grass. Some monkeys are omnivores, as they also eat lizards, spiders, and insects
They mature at the age of 4 or 5, with only a few of them mating in the first half of their life. Certain species are known to wash with urine to appear attractive to females. The babies are born after 160 days post-mating, and the mother shares an instant close bond with her young one. The life cycle of a monkey is similar to humans as it starts with gestation, proceeding to babyhood and finally, adulthood.
The baby monkeys have black furs at birth, the color of which changes in three months, though this may vary from one species to the other.
Some of them are endangered, or even at risk of extinction, with certain species having a population of only 1,000 in the wild. The Tana River Red Colobus and the Tonkin Snub-Nosed belong to list of the 25 most endangered primates. The Hainan Black-crested Gibbon is critically endangered since only about 20 of them are left. Conservation efforts to keep a check on their population include protecting trees in their habitat range, as well as increasing awareness among people.
1. What is a group of monkeys called?
At roop, cartload, barrel, carload, tribe
2. What is a baby monkey called?
An infant
3. What is the call of a monkey?
They chatter, screech, whoop, and gibber
4. Can monkeys swim?
Some species like the proboscis monkeys, macaques, and snow monkeys, possess the ability to swim.
5. Where do monkeys originally come from?
It has been a topic of debate, with the common belief being that they belonged to Africa according to fossil evidence traced in Egypt. Recent studies, however, suggest Asia as their place of origin. The Proconsul is the first monkey genus to exist in the world.
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