Monkeys
By: Brooke H.
Not many people know much about monkeys, but they know that they are smart. I chose monkeys as my web page because I didn't know much about them and I wanted to learn more. I learned a lot about them and I hope you enjoy my monkeying around!
Monkeys are a lot like us. They have fingers and toes, hands and feet. They have 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth, two ears, and a brain. But, the most important thing is that we both have hearts and feelings. The only big difference is that they have a tail and fur all over their body.
Monkey faces and the latest fur fashions...
All monkeys have features that are connected to their tree-climbing way of life. To see better they have forward-facing eyes to swing above the ground. Monkey's hands and feet are used for climbing. Their fingers and toes are very flexible, and their palms and soles are not covered in hair so they won't slip. A lot of monkeys have flat nails, but the marmosets have claws, a feature they share with some monkeys. Most monkeys have opposable thumbs and big toes, which closed against the other fingers or toes to create a firm grip. This feature varies much between species. Old world monkeys have nimble fingers and can use them to pick tiny parasites out of each others fur. On the other hand, the New World monkeys lack true opposable thumbs, although most have opposable big toes. Another group of Old World monkeys-the Colobus monkeys- do not have thumbs at all.
Three Distinct Families
Marmosets
Capuchin-like monkeys
Old World monkeys
There are three distinct families of monkeys. One type is the marmosets, another is the capuchin, and finally the old world monkeys. Marmosets and capuchin-like monkeys are found in Central and South America. They are known as New World monkeys because they are the newest species discovered. Marmosets are petite animals with extremely soft, luxurious fur which is sometimes very colorful. One species, the pygmy marmoset, is the world's smallest monkey at only 3 inches long and weighing only 4 ounces when fully grown. They have appeared in the movie The Gremlins.
The capuchin-like monkeys which include spider monkeys, wooly monkeys, capuchin monkeys and howler monkeys are larger than their cousins, the marmosets. The Howler monkeys are among the largest species measuring up to 6 feet and weighing only 22 pounds.
Old world monkeys include guenons, mangabeys, colobus, macaques, langus, and baboons. These monkeys have narrower, downward noses as opposed to the new world monkeys with wider nostrils. These monkeys are less acrobatic because their tails are only used for balance. Baboons are strong enough to defend themselves in the open. they weigh up to 90 pounds and are more than a match for many predators.
This is a list of a few of the monkeys I learned about.
There are many types of monkeys. Here are some examples: Capuchin monkeys, Howler monkeys, Wooly monkeys, Squirrel monkeys, Night monkeys, Sean monkeys, Spider monkeys, Red Colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys, Mangabey monkeys, Pale Faced Saki monkeys, Redtail monkeys, Blue monkeys, Tiny monkeys [gremlins], Proboscis monkeys, Bernardi monkeys, Stepennashi monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Sooty monkeys, Golden monkeys, Diana monkeys, Douc Langer monkeys, Pig-Tailed monkeys, Hamadryas monkeys, Hanuman monkeys, Zanzibar monkeys, DeBrazza's monkeys, Nilgiri Langer monkeys, Mandrill monkeys, Talapoin monkeys, and more are being found.
Habitats
Monkeys live in South and Central America, Africa, and the southern parts of Asia. Many monkeys live in the forest of the tropics and subtropics, where warm temperatures produce a year-round supply of food. In rain forests, where food is always there, monkeys often stay in the same place all year, but in drier habitats, they have to move frequently, sometimes traveling more than 18 km (10 mi) a day. Most monkeys live in warm habitats, some do survive in extremely different environments in the cold. Monkeys can also survive in extreme heat of the deserts. They like green places like the pictures shown below taken in Costa Rica.
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Diet
Like other primates, monkey's diets vary greatly based on where they live. Howler monkeys for example feed mostly on leaves, because they live in the tree tops. Other foods eaten by monkeys include flowers, bird eggs and small animals. Some monkeys feed in the canopy of the rainforest while others feed on food from the ground.
Uses
Monkeys are used for everyday life in many places. At home they are used to help cook, brush teeth, and keep people company. The people that monkeys help usually are the ones that have accidents, automobile accidents, and diving accidents. Monkeys are devoted helpmates giving their disabled friends independence, dignity, and love.
Click here to learn about monkeys and their natural habitat.