Spider Monkeys

By Carla

Index• Where do they come from

• What do they eat • More interesting facts

Where does spider monkeys

come fromSpider monkeys live in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America and occur as far north as Mexico. They have long, lanky arms and prehensile gripping tails to help them to move gracefully from branch to branch and tree to tree. These monkeys spend most of their time in the air, and on branches even though they have no thumbs.

What do spider monkeys eat

• fruit, leaves, seeds, insects, spiders and small vertebrates including birds

Fast facts.

Live: Mexico to Panama.Habitat: Mainly at canopy level of trees in rainforests free from flooding. Mountainous regions.

Diet: fruit, leaves, seeds, insects, spiders and small vertebrates including birds.Gestation: 210 - 225 daysLongevity: around 33 years.Status: Threatened.General: Body length: male 38 - 50cm, female 34 - 52cm; tail: up to 84cmWeight: male 7.5 - 8.1kg, female 7.6 - 8.4kg; at birth: ~ 340g

Colour - golden brown, or red to dark brown fur. Young - carried on the mother's abdomen for the first 4 months, then on her back.  The infant is black for its first 6 months and completely dependent on its mother. The entire group may share in care of the young.

When a spider monkey sees a human approaching, it barks loudly similar to a dog.

Many zoo’s have Spider Monkeys. Some have been asked to borrow Spider Monkeys to be used in movies like ‘Jack’ in the Pirates of the Caribbean and a movie called HOOK. They choose Spider Monkeys a lot because they are very easy to train and take care of. In the Hamilton Zoo there are 13 Spider Monkeys, 11 Females and 2 Males.

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