This small new world monkey really lives up to its name by being an astounding climber going vertically or horizontally just like a squirrel climbing a tree in the woods.
Size
A squirrel monkeys height can range from 275mm to 320mm when standing upright and in weight, females can be 650g but males can be roughly 950g
Location
Squirrel monkeys can be found in most of South America in tropical forests and woodlands. Apart from the Western coastal forest in Brazil.
Monkey Population
The Central American squirrel monkey is sadly on the IUCN red list which means it is threatened to be endangered. There is less than 5,000 individuals left roaming the forests of South America.
Cebidae Family Group
The family Cebidae is one of the 5 family groups of primates. The squirrel monkey is one of the smallest, most agile and one of my favourites of all the other Cebid monkeys. I love squirrel monkeys because of their playful behaviour and exotic communication calls. Lets have a look at more primates.
Diet
These small monkeys have got a very wide diet and will eat anything that you can find in a tropical forest. To nuts, fruits and any sort of insects that they can get hold of. This makes them omnivores so they eat meat and plants just like us.
Predators
Due to their size, these monkeys are hunted by many. Birds of prey and big cats find squirrel monkeys a lovely snack where as snakes such as boa constrictors will catch one and it will last them for weeks.
Fun Facts
Did you know their tail is not prehensile which means they cannot use it to grip onto branches so they can only use their hands and legs. Squirrel monkeys are considered to be one of the cleverest of all monkeys compared to its size.
