Monkeys in a barrel: amazing playful, mischievous, and occasionally strange-looking monkeys! They can be found in a variety of different ways according to their environment. The majority of them are arboreal. Other species, such as macaques, mangabeys, and baboons, tend to be more terrestrial. Every monkey can use its feet and hands to hold onto branches, however certain arboreal monkeys utilize their tails as well. Tails that grab and hold are referred to as prehensile. These particular tails have ridges on the underside , and are extremely flexible, to the point that they can grasp branches from trees or grab even a tiny peanut!
Monkeys can be located in two major areas of the globe and scientists have classified them into or Old World monkeys or New World monkeys. Old World monkeys can be located throughout Africa as well as Asia. There are many examples of them, including guenons mangabeys, macaquesand baboons, and the colobus monkeys. New World monkeys are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Examples include spider monkeys, woolly monkeys, howler monkeys capuchin monkeys, as well as squirrel monkeys. Tamarins and marmosets also reside within New World habitats but are distinct enough to belong in their own distinct scientific grouping.
There are some characteristics that differ between Old World and New World monkeys:
Nose: The majority of Old World monkeys have small nostrils that are curled and set close to each other. The majority of new World animals have nostrils that are round and set away from each other.
Cheek pouches: Macaques as well as others Old World monkeys have cheek pouches. They are where food is packed in the course of and can then be chewed on later. New World monkeys do not have cheek pouches.
Rump pads: Some Old World monkeys, such as drills, have sitting pad on the rumps, however, New World monkeys do not.
Tails Some New World monkeys, such as spider monkeys, sport tails that are prehensile, however Old World monkeys do not. One Old World monkey, the Barbary macaque, doesn’t have a tail at all!
HABITAT AND DIET
The majority of monkeys reside in the humid rainforests in Asia, Africa, as well as Central as well as South America, or the Savannas of Africa. Golden monkeys and Geladas are mountain dwellers. Japanese macaques are found in areas of Japan that get snowy; These are the monkeys you’ve seen on television that visit hot springs and spend lots of time during winter months in the warm water, similar to the macaque Jacuzzi! Baboons are found in savannas open wooded areas, as well as mountains that are rocky. Although they can climb trees, they spend the majority of their time in the ground.
A lot of monkeys are famous for their tree-swinging leaps , which make human acrobats look like apes! A lot of monkeys utilize their “arm over arm” technique you might have seen kids playing on the “monkey bars” at the playground! Colobus monkeys, in contrast to other monkeys have hind legs which are longer than their forelimbs. This makes amazing leaping abilities and incredible speed.
The feet of monkeys are just as flexible as their hands, and help them move through tiny branches that are high in the canopy of the rainforest. Monkeys play a significant role in their natural habitats, flower pollination and spreading seeds while they move. Certain monkeys are able to swim; their webbed feet help them navigate through the water, and they can traverse a stream or river to stay away from predators or seek food.
Owls or night monkeys are exclusively nocturnal and use their huge eyes to see clearly in darkness. They communicate with each other by using scents and sounds, with grunts that echo in the forests.
Prehensile tails are useful to hold on as a monkey hunts for food, such as flowers fruit, nuts, seeds, leaves, insects, bird’s eggs spiders, smaller mammals. The Old World monkeys fill up their cheek pouches that are large with leaves, fruits and insects when they hunt throughout the day taking a break for a bite and to swallow food once they come across a suitable place to sit down. Baboons also consume meat when they are able to capture it, such as young antelopes, rabbits, and birds such as the guinea fowl.
Leaves are the primary food source that is preferred by certain kinds of monkeys. Colobus monkeys and langurs both have chambered stomachs, which carry bacteria that aid in the fermentation process as well as digest the leaves. Geladas prefer to graze on grass!