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Common Squirrel Monkey Predators

You can find the four subspecies of the common squirrel monkey in the evergreen forests of South America where they evade most predators by living in trees. As omnivores, they sometimes descend to the ground to feed on berries or insects, which significantly increases their risk of falling prey to any carnivores. Aside from their characteristically small size of about 12.5 inches, you can also recognize them by their "white masks of fur around their eyes and dark brown or black coloration around the mouth and chin," according to Primate Info Net.

Birds of Prey
- Birds of prey such as falcons, hawks, vultures and eagles are the main predators of common squirrel monkeys, since they can attack them in the trees. Eagles pose the biggest threat due to their excellent vision even from far distances and their ability to pursue the monkeys through the trees at high speeds. In an effort to hide from their enemies in the sky, common squirrel monkeys stay mostly in the lower and middle canopy of trees.
Wild Cats
- Small to large wild cats such as cheetahs, cougars, ocelots, lynxes, bobcats, lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars hunt common squirrel monkeys on the ground as well as on the lower branches of trees. The best defense against some of these wild cats that are active at night is the squirrel monkeys' habit of sleeping and living in groups of up to 500. In the event of an attack they use warning sounds like loud screeching to alert the group.
Snakes
- Snakes, such as boa constrictors, most commonly attack common squirrel monkeys on the ground, although some kinds, such as the paradise tree snake, pursue them in trees. Since snakes have to paralyze or constrict their prey before swallowing it whole. The agile common squirrel monkeys have a slight chance of escape if they notice the threat in time.
Humans
- The common squirrel monkeys' glandular secretions keep some predators at bay with the exception of humans who capture any of the four subspecies -- Ecuadorian squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus macrodon), Humboldt's squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus cassiquiarensis), the Columbian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus albigena), and the Guianan squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus sciureus) -- for pet trade and medical research.

Animals & Science