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Mammals: Monkey

	Range: Old World monkeys are found in Africa, central to southern Asia, Japan, and India Habitat: rain forest, islands, steppes, mountains, and savanna, depending on species
	Range: New World monkeys are found in Mexico and Central and South America Habitat: tropical rain forest
	Range: marmosets and tamarins are found in Central and South America Habitat: tropical rain forest and scrubland

A barrel of monkeys

Monkeys have many different adaptations, depending on their habitat. Most are arboreal. Others, like macaques Macaca sp. and baboons Papio sp., are more terrestrial. All monkeys can use their hands and feet for holding on to branches, but some arboreal monkeys can use their tails, too. Tails that can grab and hold are called prehensile. These special tails are ridged on the underside and very flexible, so much so that they can grab a tree branch or pick up something as small as a peanut! Prehensile tails come in handy for holding on while the monkey collects food: flowers, fruits, nuts, leaves, seeds, insects, birds’ eggs, spiders, and small mammals.

Monkeys at the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park are offered a variety of fruits and vegetables, special herbivore biscuits, and a variety of leafy branches to munch on.

Old World or New World?

Monkeys are found in two main regions of the world, so they are grouped by scientists into either Old World monkeys or New World monkeys. Old World monkeys are found in Africa and Asia. Some examples are guenons Cercopithecus sp., mangabeys Cercocebus sp., macaques, baboons, and colobus Colobus sp. monkeys. New World monkeys are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Some examples are woolly monkeys Lagothrix sp., spider monkeys Ateles sp., howler monkeys Alouatta sp., capuchin monkeys Cebus sp., and squirrel monkeys Saimiri sciureus. Marmosets and tamarins also live in the New World, but are in a different scientific grouping from the other New World monkeys.

There are a few characteristics that are different between the Old World and New World monkeys:

	Noses— Most Old World monkeys have small curved nostrils set close together. Most New World monkeys have round nostrils set far apart.
Cheek pouches— Macaques and some of the other Old World monkeys have cheek pouches, which are used to stuff food into on the run so it can be chewed later. New World monkeys don’t have cheek pouches.
	Rump pads— Some Old World monkeys, such as drills, have sitting pads on their rumps, but New World monkeys do not.
Tails— Some New World monkeys, such as spider monkeys, have prehensile tails, but Old World monkeys do not.

Baby life

Groups of monkeys, called troops, travel together to find food. Infants are helpless at birth, so they get rides by clinging to their mothers. When the troop is not traveling, monkey babies are very active, spending much of their waking hours playing. Playing helps young monkeys develop physical and social skills they need for adult life.

Read my lips

Monkeys are very social animals, so it is important that they communicate well in order to get along in their large groups. They use vocalizations, facial expressions, and body movements to get their messages across. Staring, for instance, is a threat. Monkeys look down or away to avoid threatening other monkeys, thus preventing fights. Loud vocalizations can mean "stay out—this is my territory.” Using vocalizations instead of fighting is a much safer way to communicate.

Grinning, or pulling the lip up to show the teeth, may seem like a smile to us. But for monkeys this is a sign of aggression or anger, because biting is one way monkeys fight and defend themselves. Other signs of aggression include head bobbing, yawning (again, to show the teeth), and jerking the head and shoulders forward.

Monkeys also express affection and make peace with others by grooming each other. Although grooming helps monkeys keep their fur clean of dirt, dead skin, and parasites, it also helps them to build and maintain good social relationships. Grooming seems to be a way to make up after fighting, or to make friends with other troop members.

Helping monkeys survive

Unless human behavior changes, monkeys have an uncertain future. Many live in areas where people live. Monkeys are often considered pests by farmers and are killed. Some are killed for their fur and for meat, which is known as bushmeat. Monkeys are also trapped and sold as pets. People need to remember that monkeys are wild animals, and they do not make good pets. They are loud, messy, difficult to care for, and can be aggressive. Monkeys can also become very sick from not getting the right food, and they lead unhappy and short lives from not living in the right conditions.

The biggest threat to monkeys is habitat loss. Many monkeys live in tropical forests, a habitat that is quickly disappearing. You can help protect monkeys and monkey habitat! Do not buy anything made from monkey body parts. Be careful about buying items made from rain forest trees, unless that wood is certified. Some rain forest products, such as Brazil nuts, actually help protect monkey habitat, because they can only be harvested from healthy rain forests. This type of product usually has a label describing how it helps protect the rain forest. Read the labels! Recycling and buying recycled products also helps save all animal habitats by reducing the amount of resources we take from the Earth.