Monkey (animal), any of about 160 species of
primates that have grasping hands, forward-facing eyes, and highly
developed brains. Most monkeys also have tails, a characteristic that
distinguishes them from their larger primate cousins, the apes.
Monkeys are highly skilled climbers, and most spend much of their lives in
trees. Some have prehensile tails—that is, tails capable of grasping—that they
can use as a fifth limb while foraging for food or climbing.
Zoologists classify monkeys into three distinct
families: marmosets, Capuchin-like monkeys, and Old World monkeys.
Marmosets and Capuchin-like monkeys are found only in Central and South America
and are known collectively as New World monkeys. Marmosets are dainty animals
with luxurious fur, which is sometimes strikingly colored. One species, the
pygmy marmoset, is the world's smallest monkey, measuring just 30 cm (12 in)
long, at least half of which is tail, and weighing as little as 113 g (4 oz)
when fully grown. The average life span of a pygmy marmoset in the wild is 10 to
12 years. By comparison, the Capuchin-like monkeys, which include capuchin
monkeys, douroucoulis, spider monkeys,
woolly monkeys, and howler monkeys, are more robust,
although they are still lightly built. Howler monkeys, for example, are among
the largest species and measure up to 1.8 m (6 ft) from the top of the head to
the tip of the tail. Even so, their maximum weight is only about 10 kg (22 lb).
Howler monkeys living in the wild have an average life span of around 16 to 20
years. Many New World monkeys have prehensile tails, and all have broad noses
with sideways-opening nostrils.
Old World monkeys include guenons,
mangabeys, colobus monkeys, macaques,
langurs, and baboons. Compared to New World monkeys,
their noses are narrower and have downward-opening nostrils. Old World monkeys
do not have prehensile tails; instead, most use their tails simply for balance.
As a result, these monkeys are less acrobatic than their New World cousins. Most
Old World monkeys spend at least part of their time on the ground. While many
are careful not to stray too far from the protective cover of trees, baboons are
strong and aggressive enough to defend themselves in the open. Armed with
fearsome canine teeth and weighing up to 41 kg (90 lb), male baboons are more
than a match for many predators. A baboon in the wild can live as long as 30
years.
The predators of Capuchin-like monkeys are humans and birds of prey. The
predators of marmosets include small cats, birds of prey, and snakes. The
predators of macaques include large cats, such as leopards, tigers, and
panthers, and large snakes, such as pythons. The predators of langurs and
colobus monkeys include large cats, humans, and some birds of prey. The biggest
threat to all monkeys, however, is the loss of habitat
Monkeys are restricted to South and Central America, Africa, and the southern
parts of Asia. Most monkeys live in the forests of the tropics and subtropics,
where warm temperatures ensure a year-round supply of food. In rain forests,
where food is abundant, monkeys often stay in the same area all year, but in
drier habitats, they have to range further afield, possibly traveling more than
18 km (10 mi) a day.
Although most monkeys live in warm climates, some do survive in extreme
environments. The Japanese macaque manages to survive the winter cold on the
Japanese island of Honshū—the only nonhuman primate to survive that far north. A
few tropical monkeys survive on high mountains well above the snow line, some at
elevations as high as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). These high-altitude species include
the Asian snub-nosed langurs, the African vervet, and several species of
macaques. Monkeys can also survive in extreme deserts. In southwest Africa, for
example, a troop of yellow baboons lives in the Namib Desert, where rainfall
averages just a few inches a year.
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