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SPIDER MONKEY
Scientific Name:
Spider monkeys are one of the most agile tree climbing primates in the
world. Their tail serves as a fifth limb and this gives them a powerful tool
when swinging from tree to tree allowing them to move rapidly across limbs.
The end of the tail is extremely flexible, and forms a hand with actual skin
and grooves. These monkeys are considered New World primates.
Spider monkeys are so called because of their long arms and legs and slender
bodies. Their fur is course and varies in color depending on the species.
Adults of both sexes are roughly the
same size. The head and body length is about
22 inches, and the tail can be up to 36 inches long. Their average weight is
between 10 and 20 pounds.
Read more
about the Sarasota Bradenton Children's Zoo
here.
In the Wild...
Spider monkeys are considered fruigivorous which means
that for 90 % of their diet they prefer fruit and seeds. If fruit is not as
available, they supplement their diet with,
leaves, eggs, nuts, insects and flowers. They congregate in large groups of
10 to 30 individuals with a wide range, breaking into smaller parties during
the day to travel and forage. The groups become smaller in size when fruit
is less available in their environment. The males dominate and there is a
distinct bonding between all males in a group.
Habitat and Distribution
Some of the subspecies are
at present endangered species. They are considered the largest nonhuman
primates in South America. Their habitats in the wild range anywhere from
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela in wet forests living in the
upper levels of the canopy in evergreen tropical rainforests.
Biology
In
their social system, females choose their mates and initiate copulation,
sometimes with only one male, sometimes with more than one. The males
normally are not competitive to fight for mates. Offspring normally consists
of a single infant every 2-4 years. They are dependent on the mother for
about 3 years and reach sexual maturity at age 4 (females) or 5(males).
Their
lifespan in captivity ranges from 30-40 years depending on the individual
species.
Threats
Habitat destruction is the
biggest threat to these monkeys across Latin America.
When
the Sarasota-Bradenton Children's Zoo closed its doors, the Board of Directors
and government officials asked us to step in and provide for the animals to
prevent them from being destroyed, so we spent days capturing and relocating all
of them to their lifetime home at our sanctuary. Among these animals were four
spider monkeys, Scar, Gramps, Fatso and Blackie. They are now living together at
our facility, surrounded by oak trees, and they rill remain here for life.
BLACKIE, SCAR, GRAMPS
AND FATSO
All of our four spider monkeys came
from the Sarasota-Bradenton
Children’s Zoo, where they lived for about
five years. We don’t have
records of their ages or past history, but we have been told that they
were confiscated from an individual who kept them, along with 20-30 other
monkeys in a mobile home – in extremely poor condition.
Upon
arrival at that zoo, their canines were pulled and they were housed in
separate enclosures with concrete floors and very little enrichment.
When the zoo closed under several animal welfare citations and
financial difficulty, the spider monkeys came to live out their lives at
our sanctuary. They will
remain at our sanctuary for the rest of their lives, playing with others
of their own kind.
Our
sanctuary was their first experience with large habitats, with grass
beneath their feet and vegetation.
Their habitat expansion is completed, and now they have their
very own oak trees to climb in!
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