The Amazing Squirrel Monkey

By: Kalun White3rd Period

Squirrel Monkey

• Belongs to the Chordata Phylum• Mammal Class• Primate Order

Physical Characteristics• What are the squirrel monkey’s

features?– They are about as big as a

squirrel - 10-14 inches – Adult males range between 1.5

to 2.5 pounds– Their fur is short, thick, soft, and

brightly colored. – The skin on the lips and around

nostrils is black with almost no hair.

– Tails are almost 14 inches long– They have nails and not claws

Physical Characteristics• How many babies do squirrel monkeys have?

– Squirrel Monkeys have one baby at a time once a year

– Babies spend the first few months of life riding their mother's back.

– Males do not help raise the babies but other females do

– Babies are independent at 1 year old– Squirrel monkeys can live up to 20 years

Physical Characteristics

• How big are squirrel monkey families?– Families are called troops or bands– Troops can include 12 to 100 monkeys– Troops have a male group, mother and baby

group, and a teenage group– All groups sleep together but separate in the day

to gather food

Habitat

Where do squirrelmonkeys live?

• The common squirrel monkey is found in the countries of Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Paraguay, and Venezuela

Habitat

• What kind of environment do squirrel monkeys live in?

• Squirrel monkeys live in watery environments such as tropical rainforests

• They spend most of their time in trees rarely touching the ground

Survival Information

• What do squirrel monkeys eat and how do they get food?

• Squirrel monkeys eat insects like caterpillars and grass hoppers, small vertebrae like tree frogs and bats, fruit, nectar, flower buds and seeds.

• They hunt for insects and small vertebrae in live leaves and large patches of trees

Survival Information

• What are threats to the survival of squirrel monkeys?

• The squirrel monkeys' main enemy is the eagle. Porcupines and baboons also are enemies of monkeys.

• Cutting down forests, illegal hunting, and capture to be sold as pets or for medical research are all threats and problems to the squirrel monkeys.

Adaptations

• Squirrel monkeys are active in the day time• Excellent climbers and leapers• Communicate through chirps and clucks, barking when

mad, and purring and squawking during mating,• They rub urine on their hands and feet so that they can

leave their scent behind as they move through the branches to tell other monkeys where they have been and keep predators away

Interesting Facts About Squirrel Monkeys

• Squirrel monkeys are noisy, nervous little monkeys

• The squirrel monkey's hands are shaped like ours - they are good for gripping tree branches and picking up fruit or insects.

• Males gain weight prior to the mating season, nearly doubling in size.

• The squirrel monkey's different colors act as a sort of camouflage by making it more difficult to spot.

• Squirrel Monkeys are important seed dispersers. They also pollinate several species of plants

Questions