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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
squirrel
monkey |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Primates |
| FAMILY: |
Cebidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Saimiri
(Brazilian for small monkey) sciureus (a
squirrel) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
A
small monkey with grayish-green and various amounts
of yellow fur. The tail is long with a black tuft
at the tip. |
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| SIZE: |
Head
and body together equal 305 mm (12 in.); tail length
is 356 mm (14 in.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
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| MALE |
963-1088
g (2.1-2.4 lb.) |
| FEMALE |
700-900
g (1.5-2 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Includes
insects, grasshoppers, arachnids, fruits, and flowers |
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| GESTATION: |
Gestation
lasts approximately 170 days |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
At
about 2-3 years of age |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Average
about 20 years |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
primary and secondary forest, near rivers, mangroves
and swamps |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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|
| 1. |
Squirrel monkeys mark their territory by urinating
on their hands and feet and then tracking this around. |
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| 2. |
Males put on weight prior to the breeding season,
nearly doubling in size. Scientists believe this
to be associated with an increase in spermatogenesis. |
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| 3. |
Squirrel monkeys have a very diverse diet. In fact,
they are often willing to put anything that is small
enough into their mouths. |
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| 4. |
When
a squirrel monkey assumes a commanding attitude
toward the rest of the group members, it stands
and displays its genitalia. |
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| 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 the snout
that monkeys have. |
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| 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 partly terrestrial, while New World
monkeys are mainly arboreal (tree dwelling). |
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| Squirrel
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 forests. They can be wasteful however, never
eating the entire fruit! |
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|
|
Anderson, S. Simon and Schuster's Guide to Mammals.
Simon and Schuster, New York. 1982. |
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Preston-Mafham, R. and K. Primates of the World.
Sterling Pub., New York. 1999. |
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Rowe, N. The Pictorial Guide to the Living
Primates. Pogonios Press, NY. 1996.
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| Lincoln
Park Zoo. www.lpzoo.com |
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| University
of South Alabama. www.saimiri.usouthal.edu/prl/naturalh.htm |
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