Hobbies And Interests
Appearance
Spider monkeys have slender bodies with long arms and legs. They also have long, strong tails, which are prehensile. This means the tails can grip, much like a hand. The tails help the monkeys move through the trees. These monkeys do not have opposable thumbs, which makes them more primitive than other monkeys, such as chimpanzees. Spider monkeys also have less-developed brains than other monkeys. Spider monkeys can be a light brown in color, with darker markings, or may have a much darker overall fur coloring, depending on the subspecies. Spider monkeys usually grow to be 14 to 26 inches tall, with tails that are sometimes longer than the entire body. They usually weigh about 13 lbs.
Habitat
Spider monkeys spend almost their entire lives in the trees of the jungle, rarely coming down to the ground. Spider monkeys are found commonly in Central and South America. They can sometimes be found as far north as Mexico. Although most types of spider monkeys are not considered to be endangered, habitat destruction in these areas does put pressure on the populations.
Diet
Spider monkeys are omnivorous, meaning they will eat both vegetation and meaty items. Spider monkeys forage for food in the trees and will eat a variety of fruits, leaves, honey, flowers and nuts, as well as spiders or other insects and bird eggs. Although they are omnivorous, spider monkeys prefer to mainly eat fruits, seeds and nuts.
Life Cycle
Spider monkeys live between 22 and 27 years. Female monkeys usually have a baby spider monkey every 2 to 5 years. The young monkey stays with the mother for one or two years. Spider monkeys tend to live in large groups, which can consist of 24 to 36 monkeys. Each of these large groups is broken up into much smaller groups, 4 to 5 monkeys, which forage together during the day. It's mainly the female monkeys that take a dominant role in leading the group, directing the other monkeys to new foraging or sleeping areas. The monkeys communicate with each other by calling or screeching.