 |
| Monkey |
Monkey Fun Information That You May Not Read Before
Monkeys play different roles in many religions of the world, such as in Jainism, monkeys are considered a symbol of the fourth Tirthankara. In Hinduism and culture, the monkey god Hanuman ji is considered a symbol of strength and courage. Apart from this, in Chinese culture, monkeys can be a symbol of greed, while deer is considered a symbol of love and tiger is a symbol of anger.
The interesting thing is that the United States and France have used monkeys named Rhesus Macaque for space. You will be surprised to know that the first monkey to enter space through the V-2 rocket launched by America on June 14, 1949 was named Albert.
The monkeys present in the world are divided into two different groups which are identified as Old World and New World monkeys. New World monkeys are believed to belong to five families and are addressed as Ceboidea. Old World monkeys belong to the Cercopithecidae family which is closely related to humans and apes.
The Old World monkey family is known as Cercopithecidae and is the largest primate family of Old World monkeys with a total of 24 genera and 138 species. Old World monkey species include macaques, baboons, proboscis monkeys, surilis, langurs, geladas, colobus, talapoins, patas, mandrills, mangabeys, vervets, douc langurs and guenon monkeys.
New World monkey species look somewhat different from Old World monkey species. But these groups of monkeys can be easily identified by their nose in which the nose of New World monkeys appears flatter than that of Old World monkeys.
Also, the tail of Old World monkeys is short and ungraspable. While the tail of the New World monkeys is prehensile, which means that they can hold objects which they use in daily activities. Let's know interesting facts about monkeys
Where Are Monkey Found
Monkeys can be easily found and seen all over the world. Most of the species in the world are tree-dwelling monkeys except macaques, mangabeys and baboons which are terrestrial species. Apart from this, most species of monkeys are found in Central and South America, Africa and Asia.
Japanese macaque monkeys are found where there is snowfall and they spend most of their time living near hot springs. Similarly, golden and gelada monkeys are mountain dwellers and vervet monkeys like to make their habitat near lakes, waterfalls and rivers. Baboon monkeys live in open forest areas, savannas and rocky hills and spend most of their time on the ground instead of trees.
You will be surprised to know that in some areas of Africa, monkeys are hunted for their meat which is known as bushmeat. Not only this, in some areas of South Asia and China, the brain of monkeys is eaten as a delicious food.
Most of the monkey species are found living on trees and only a few of them live on the ground. Interestingly, monkeys participate in daily grooming to keep a family together.
Howler monkeys roam around on tree tops and use their tails to hold the tree branch. Most monkeys in the world do not eat bananas as they are forest dwellers and most of them are not easily available in their habitats.
Scientific Name Of Monkey
The scientific name of the Old World monkey is Cercopithecidae and let us tell you again that monkeys are divided into two groups which are Old World monkeys and New World monkeys. There are 24 species of Old World monkeys and these are divided into 138 different species while there are 122 species of New World monkeys.
Howler monkeys belong to the group of New World monkeys and not only this, they are considered to be one of the largest monkeys. Apart from this, this species originated in Central and South America and these monkeys are named on the basis of their loud crying voice. One of the most fun facts is that howler monkeys rarely land on the ground.
Capuchin monkeys belong to the group of New World monkeys and evolved from the tropical forest habitats of South America which are found till Argentina. The face of this species is white in appearance and the body is brown.
Spider monkeys belong to the group of New World monkeys and are found in Southern Mexico and Brazil. One of the funniest facts is that this species does not have thumbs but their gripping ability is extremely strong.
Pygmy marmosets are found in the Amazon basin and one of the funniest facts is that they are considered to be the smallest monkey species in size. Baboons belong to the group of Old World monkeys which is divided into five different species. Not only this, an adult baboon can kill lion cubs and leopards when confronted.
Monkey Habitat
Monkey species mostly live in trees, mountains, high plains, grasslands and forests. New World monkeys are mostly found in the tropical regions of South America near the Amazon rainforest and some of their species are also seen in southern to northern Mexico.
Old World monkey species originated in Asia and Africa and live in rainforests, mountainous areas, shrublands and savannas. The only living species in the whole of Europe is the Barbary macaque monkey.
Monkeys are social animals and are found in groups known as troops in which there are several males or one male with several females and young children. Monkeys form small groups called harems and in this one adult male lives with several adult females and their offspring.
The special thing about their group is that the females live in the same group in which they were born and are closely related to each other. While males join a new group or form a new group of their own with several other females, known as a harem.
How Do Monkey Look Like
Monkeys can be easily distinguished from apes because of their tails and narrow-chested body. Monkeys have forward-facing eyes and hands that are almost similar to humans for grasping objects. They have large brains, fingerprints and nails.
New World monkeys have prehensile tails which means that they can grasp objects that help them hang down from branches and gather food. But Old World monkeys do not have prehensile tails. Apart from this, colobus monkeys have mantle hair and use it as a parachute while making long jumps. Read- Secretary Bird Facts About Poisonous Snake Eating Bird
.jpg "Monkey Fun Information That You May Not Read Before") |
| Monkey |
Monkey Height And Weight
New World monkey species are mostly of small size with the smallest monkey known being the pygmy marmoset which is about 4.7-6.2 inches long. Muriqui monkey also known as woolly spider monkey is about 22-28 inches long.
Old World monkeys are slightly larger than New World monkeys, most of these species are tree dwellers and only a few of them live on the ground like baboons. The smallest Old World monkey currently known is the talapoin which is about 13.3-14.5 inches long and the largest Old World monkey is the mandrill which is about 41 inches long.
The smallest species among the New World monkey species is the pygmy marmoset and they can weigh up to about 120-190 grams. The largest known New World species is the woolly spider monkey which can weigh up to about 12-15 kg.
The smallest species among the Old World monkeys is the talapoin which can weigh up to about 700-1300 grams and the largest species among them is the mandrill which can weigh up to about 50 kg.
What Do Monkey Eat
Monkeys eat small mammals, bird eggs, seeds, fruits, spiders, insects, nuts, flowers and even small animals. All Old World monkeys have a large pouch in which they store their food. After that, these monkeys eat this food after finding a safe place.
Baboon monkeys are also found to eat rabbits, birds and small antelopes in their diet. Langur and colobus monkey species can easily digest leaves with the help of bacteria available in their three or four-chambered stomach.
How Do Monkey Reproduce
A monkey reaches reproductive age at around 18 months to 8 years depending on the species and the gestation period can also vary from 4 to 8 months depending on the species. Some species of monkeys reproduce for several months and some species reproduce throughout the year.
The female monkeys in their species take care of the babies and in some of their species, the female monkeys give birth to a baby that looks quite different from its parents. Baby langurs are an example of this which are born orange in color while the parents look black. A young langur changes color within about 6 months of its birth.
How Long Do Monkey Live
A full-grown monkey has a life span of about 10-50 years depending on the species and apart from this, it has also been seen that some of these species can live for more than 50 years.
How Fast Can Monkey Run
The fastest species of Old World monkeys are the Patas monkeys, which have been recorded at speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour, about as fast as a thoroughbred racehorse.
How Monkeys Communicate
Monkeys are considered to be more intelligent animals and can be seen using body movements, voice and facial expressions to communicate with others. Monkey species will stare at another animal to intimidate them and look away or down to avoid any confrontation.
Apart from this, monkeys also sometimes use their tails to communicate and make loud noises when intimidating others. Monkeys can also use hoots, grunts, barks, screams and cries to communicate with others.
Not only this, smiling and pulling up of lips of monkeys is also a way of communication which is used to show anger and aggression while defending or fighting others. This monkey species sometimes shows aggression by shaking their head, yawning and shaking their head.
A species of monkeys known as owl monkeys are nocturnal in nature and these monkeys use their wide eyes to see in the dark. Apart from this, they communicate with others through grunting sounds and smell. Read- Painted Bunting Fun Information About Colorful Bird
.jpg "Monkey Fun Information That You May Not Read Before") |
| Monkey |
Monkey Behavior
Monkeys can be extremely aggressive animals by nature and it is difficult to catch an angry monkey as monkeys are extremely protective of their territory. Also, anyone who tries to enter their territory will be scared of them which makes them more likely to attack.
Caring for a monkey as a pet is very difficult as monkeys are dirty, noisy and difficult to care for. Monkeys can sometimes become very aggressive and most species of monkeys will live short and unhappy lives as pets if the conditions are not right for them.
Monkey Facts For Kids
1. What is the brief information about monkey?
These animals are known for running and jumping easily on trees. Apart from this, like apes and humans, monkeys also belong to the mammals called primates. Not only this, monkeys look somewhat like apes like chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas.
2. What is the importance of monkey?
They play an important role in their habitat by pollinating flowers and spreading seeds while traveling. Some monkeys can swim and their webbed paws help them float in water. Monkeys can swim across a stream or river to escape predators or to get food.
3. Where do monkeys sleep?
Monkeys roam and sleep in trees which makes them safe from predators on the ground as well as predators in the sky. Interestingly, apes like orangutans build nests to sleep in every night and they take whatever spot on a tree branch is most convenient.
4. What are the characteristics of monkeys?
Monkeys are considered intelligent animals who are adept at solving problems. Almost all types of monkeys prefer to live together in groups. A monkey group consists of several females, their children and one or more males. These animals use facial expressions, body movements and different types of sounds to communicate with each other.
5. What is monkey for kids?
Monkey is an animal called primate and primates are a type of mammal that use their fingers to hold things. Apart from this, mammals are animals that have hair and are warm-blooded. They give birth to live babies.
6. What are five characteristics of monkeys?
Most species of monkeys are arboreal and use all four limbs to jump from tree to tree. Monkeys can sit upright and stand upright. Most species run along branches rather than walking on their hands like apes. Monkeys are highly social omnivorous animals and gather in large groups of several hundred monkeys led by an older male monkey.
7. Is a monkey a friendly animal?
Some monkeys are friendly but some are very aggressive. Even the most gentle monkeys are sometimes unpredictable and can become aggressive towards anyone, including the person they are closest to.
8. What is a monkey's favorite food?
The diet of monkeys in the wild consists mainly of fruits, roots, bark and insects, so monkeys eat a wide variety of foods. If you are talking about monkeys in the zoo then they are fed small, tender leaves like lettuce and fresh fruit along with food.
9. What is a baby monkey called?
A baby fish is called a fry or fingerling and a baby swan is called a gosling. Similarly, a baby kangaroo is called a joey and a baby monkey is called a baby.
10. What are the special skills of monkeys?
A study has proposed that these animals have the ability to reason abstractly through inconsistent syllogisms, an ability previously thought to be unique to humans and that requires language.