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About Monkeys

Squirrel Monkeys

Squirrel Monkey are small New World monkeys. Squirrel monkeys are members of the same family as marmosets, tamarins and capuchin monkeys.

Squirrel Monkey Classification:

Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primate
Family: Cebidae
Genus: Saimiri


Squirrel Monkey in Foreign Languages:

Dutch:
doodshoofdaapje
Finnish: saimiri
German: Totenkopfaffchen
Navajo: magiltsooi binaazhini
Spanish: mono ardilla

Species: Squirrel monkeys are divided into a number of species and sub-species.

Squirrel Monkey species include:

Central American Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Oerstedii
Black-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Oerstedii Oerstedii
Grey-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Oerstedii Citrinellus
Common Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Sciureus
Humboldt's Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Sciureus Cassiquiarensis
Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Sciureus Macrodon
Bare-eared Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Ustus
Black-capped Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Boliviensis Bolivian Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Boliviensis Boliviensis
Peruvian Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Boliviensis Peruviensis
Black Squirrel Monkey - Saimiri Vanzolini

Size: Squirrel monkeys are one of the smallest New World monkey species. Squirrel monkeys are 9.8 to 14 inches in length and weigh 1.7 to 2.4 lbs., there tails are 13.8 to 15.5 inches long. Male squirrel monkeys are larger than their female coutnerparts.

Habitat: Squirrel monkeys reside in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Squirrel monkeys are typically found in the primary and secondary forest, near rivers, mangroves and swamps. Squirrel are most common in Panama and Costa Rica.

Description: Squirrel monkeys have a grayish-green coat with patches of yellow. Squirrel monkeys have a white face with black nose and mouth, and a long nonprehensile tail.

Behavior: Squirrel monkeys are diurnal and arboreal, spending the majority of their time in the trees. Squirrel monkeys mark their territory with urine.

Diet: Squirrel monkeys primarily subsist on a diet of fruit and insects but will also eat seeds, leaves, flowers, buds, nuts, eggs and small vertebrates.

Communication: Squirrel monkeys use vocalizations to communicate.

Did You Know?
Squirrel Monkey are thought to be one of the most intelligent primate species, it has the largest brain to body mass ratio of all the monkey species in the world.

Gestation: Squirrel monkeys carry their young for approximately 150-170 days.

Birth: Baby squirrel monkeys cling to their mother's back for the first several weeks after birth. Female squirrel monkeys are solely reponsible for the care of the young.

Sexually Mature: Female squirrel monkeys sexually mature around tage of 2.5-3. Male squirrel monkeys sexually mature around the age of 5.

Life Span: Squirrel monkeys live approximately 15-20 years in the wild. Birds of prey and snakes are natural predators of the squirrel monkey. Squirrel monkeys can live up to 30 years in captivity.

Did You Know?

A squirrel monkey named Baker was a part of the US space program. Baker was sent into space, and safely returned to earth.

Social Structure: Squirrel monkeys are social and spend time in troops of 30-50 members. A squirrel monkey troop can consist of a number of sub-groups of monkeys. and the troops numbers can sometimes swell to as many as a couple hundred members.


Squirrel Monkey

Conservation Status:





















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