| |
|
|
| |
| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
|
| COMMON
NAME: |
Colombian
black spider monkey |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Primates |
| FAMILY: |
Cebidae
(same as woolly and howler monkeys) |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Ateles
(incomplete thumb) fusciceps (four digits/fingers)
robustes (strong, powerful) |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| DESCRIPTION: |
The
spider monkey has a prehensile and extremely flexible
tail. It has a black body and long limbs with thumb-less
hands. |
|
| SIZE: |
Head
and body 406-610 mm (16-24 in.); tail 711-864 mm
(28-34 in.) |
|
| WEIGHT: |
Up
to 9.1 kg (20 pounds) |
|
| DIET: |
Fruit
makes up 80% of the spider monkey's diet; also includes
leaves, nuts, seeds, bark, insects, and flowers |
|
| GESTATION: |
Approximately
140 days; one offspring is typically born |
|
| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
4-5
years old |
|
| LIFE
SPAN: |
Approximately
24 years |
|
| RANGE: |
Columbia, South America |
|
| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
rainforest; arboreal (lives in trees) |
|
| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
|
| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Vulnerable |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1. |
Spider monkeys are found in social groups of up
to 30 individuals; however, they are usually broken
up into smaller foraging groups of 3-4 individuals. |
|
|
| 2. |
Moving and climbing through the forest is by hand
over hand (brachiation) motion. |
|
|
| 3. |
Their prehensile tail acts as an extra limb. The
tail has a hairless patch on the tip that is used
for grip. This hairless patch is unique in its markings,
just like the human fingerprint. |
|
|
| 4. |
The
female's clitoris is very protuberant and can be
mistaken for a penis. It acts as a reservoir for
urine. The male is able to smell when a female is
in estrus. |
|
|
| 5. |
The
differences between monkeys and apes are easy to
see once you know what to look for. Apes do not
have a tail and are generally larger than most other
primates. They have a more upright body posture
as well. Apes rely more on vision than on smell
and have a short broad nose rather than a snout,
as Old World monkeys do. |
|
|
| 6. |
Old
World monkeys are generally from Africa and Asia
while New World monkeys are from the Americas. In
Old World monkeys, the nostrils face downward and
are narrow. New World monkeys have round nostrils
facing to the side. Old World primates are usually
larger than the New World's. Many of the Old World
monkeys are partially terrestrial. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Spider monkeys fill an important ecological role
in South America. These primates often feed on an
assortment of fruits and as they travel throughout
their environment. As they go, they disperse undigested
seeds in their manure within 2-3 hours. The seeds
soon sprout to replenish the vegetation that sustains
South America's rich rainforests.
In a cooperative effort with other AZA (American
Association of Zoos and Aquariums) institutions,
Busch Gardens closely manages spider monkey populations
through a program called the Species Survival Plan
(SSP), which works to improve the genetic diversity
of managed animal populations. Busch Gardens currently
has 30 SSP animals. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Anderson, S. 1982. Simon and Schuster's Guide
to Mammals. Simon and Schuster, New York. |
|
|
Bloom, S. 1999. In Praise of Primates. Steve
Bloom Images, Neue Stalling, Oldenberg, Germany. |
|
|
Newland, K. 1997. The North America Regional
Studbook for South American Spider Monkeys.
Memphis Zoo & Aquarium, Memphis, TN.
|
|
| Rowe,
Noel. 1996. The Pictorial Guide to the Living
Primates. Pogonios Press, NY. |
|
| www.britannica.org |
|
| www.monkeymadness.com |
|
| www.scz.com |
|
|
|
|
|
