Spider monkeys
| Spider monkeys | ||||||||||||
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Brown-headed spider monkey ( Ateles fusciceps ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ateles | ||||||||||||
| É. Geoffroy , 1806 |
The spider ( Ateles ) are a genus of the primate family of atelidae (Atelidae) within the New World monkeys . These animals are adapted to a tree-dwelling way of life with their long prehensile tails and their long limbs. The genus includes seven species that live in Central and South America . In English they are called spider monkeys , but spider monkeys in German refer to a different genus of primate.
description
The fur of the spider monkey is short and rough, its color varies depending on the species and age from yellow-gray to brown to black, the underside is usually lighter. The hairless face is mostly black, sometimes reddish in color. Their physique is slender, the tail is longer than the body, it is extremely mobile and is used as a pronging tail, which is also done by the hairless underside of the tail tip. With their long limbs, they are perfectly adapted to the handicapped lifestyle, the hands are hook-shaped, the thumbs receded. They reach a head body length of 38 to 63 centimeters, the tail becomes 50 to 90 centimeters long. The weight is 7 to 9 kilograms, sometimes up to 11 kilograms. The gender dimorphism in terms of size is only weak.
distribution
Spider monkeys have a large distribution area, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia and central Brazil . Their habitat are forests, although they mostly reside in lower-lying tropical rainforests .
Lifestyle and diet
Spider monkeys are diurnal tree dwellers that mostly reside in the upper canopy. They move quickly and agile through the branches, either four-legged or swinging, using the tail as a fifth limb. They can hang for a long time on one hand, a foot or on the tail. However, they rarely get on the ground. It is said that only gibbons outperform spider monkeys for acrobatics in the trees. But they can also balance on branches and pick up objects with their tails. In the morning they go in search of food to spend the rest of the day resting.
Spider monkeys live together in groups, with group behavior being very variable. Groups usually consist of 12 to 35 animals, but they are often divided into two to five-headed subgroups to search for food. However, the group size should generally depend on the fertility of the habitat. The divided subgroups communicate with one another with long, loud cries emitted by the males. Within a group, communication through facial expressions and mutual grooming play an important role.
The main food of the spider monkeys are fruits (around 80–89%), they also eat leaves and other plant material.
Reproduction
Spider monkeys have a very low rate of reproduction. The female gives birth to a young animal only every two to four years, with a gestation period of around 230 days. The young animal is weaned at 12 to 15 months and is independent at one and a half years. It becomes sexually mature after four to five years. A specimen in a zoo was 33 years old, life expectancy is likely to be lower in the wild.
Danger
Like the other spider-tailed monkeys, the spider-monkeys were and are hunted for their meat. Another threat is habitat loss due to deforestation in the rainforests. Since spider monkeys mostly only occur in primary forests , they are very sensitive to human disturbances. According to the IUCN, all seven species are endangered species, two of them, the brown-headed monkey and the brown spider monkey, are " critically endangered " according to the IUCN .
Systematics
The spider monkeys are the family of atelidae counted, all of which are characterized by their prehensile tail. They are closely related to woolly and spider monkeys .
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There are seven types:
- The white- fronted spider monkey ( Ateles belzebuth ) has a conspicuous white or yellow-brown triangle on the forehead of some animals.
- The black- faced spider monkey ( A. chamek ) is characterized by its black fur and dark face.
- The brown-headed spider monkey ( A. fusciceps ) is native to Panama and northwestern South America. Not all animals have the eponymous brown head.
- The Geoffroy spider monkey ( A. geoffroyi ) has the northernmost distribution area, it occurs from southern Mexico to northern Colombia.
- The brown spider monkey ( A. hybridus ) lives in a small area in Colombia and Venezuela.
- The white-cheeked spider monkey ( A. marginatus ) is characterized by its mask-like facial markings, it lives in Brazil.
- The red-faced spider monkey ( A. paniscus ) has a red face and black fur. He lives in northeastern South America.
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin a. a. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
