All About Monkeys

Monkeys. I know you're asking yourself, "Why am I reading an article about monkeys?" I asked myself the same thing but there are many things people don't know about monkeys. I decided to write an article about them for anybody who is curious about our primate relatives. 

I admit I have a problem. Anytime something even just slightly piques my interest, I have to do hours and hours of research about it. So when I discovered that there are over 260 species of monkeys I had to deep dive into all the different kinds to find out all I could about them.

So to start off with I'm going to tell you all I can find about a few of the monkey species I didn't even know existed.

-Pygmy Marmoset (Cabuella Pygmaea)

The most fascinating thing about these monkeys is they are the smallest existing true monkey on the planet. An adult Pygmy Marmoset's body is only about 4.5-6 inches in length while their tails are 6.5-9 inches long, and they only weigh around 3.5 oz. (That's less than a cup of flour)

Since they are primates which are typically social animals they live in groups, often referred to as a troop or barrel, of up to 10. They all share the responsibility of rearing the babies which spend around 2 birth cycles (10-14 months) within the group. The male Pygmy Marmoset is typically a lookout, keeping a watchful eye out for predators and other dangers that could have an effect on the group.

Pygmy Marmosets mostly eat tree gum, sap, and resin which they gain access to by using a special set of teeth to make holes in vines and trees. They also eat insects such as butterflies, and grasshoppers.

Their lifespan is 10-18 years which in my opinion is absolutely amazing for such a small animal living in the tropical forests of South America.

They are considered a vulnerable species due to habitat destruction, predation, and being sold as "finger monkeys" on the black marker.

Would I love to have a pygmy monkey as a pet? Obviously. Would I ever have one? Absolutely not. They are wild animals and should be left alone

 -Gee's Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei) 

First thing first. Hello! Do you see this beautiful monkey, I mean come on, it's contemplating its existence while also posing for its place on the cover of Vogue. Anyway, let's get back to the facts.

Gee's Golden Langur, otherwise known as simply the golden langur, is found in a tiny region in India called Assam. They are extremely dependent on trees, typically living in the upper canopy of tropical and subtropical forests. 

Not much is known about golden langur's mating habits, but they have been observed to breed year-round and only have 1 offspring at a time.

Golden langurs are a very shy species and usually avoid contact with humans when possible. They live in groups of anywhere between 4-40 where social grooming is a very important group activity.

They are herbivores and get their nutrition from fruits, leaves, seeds, and flowers.

They are mainly threatened by humans through habitat destruction. They have a population of roughly 5,500. They have two main natural predators, the Asiatic Wild Dogs, and Leopards. Golden Langurs are considered an endangered species.

-François’ Langur (Trachypithecus Fracoisi)

Look at this handsome, sophisticated fella. He stayed just long enough to get a photo taken and now he's on his way to a very important railway business meeting in the wild west. 

These monkeys live in social groups between 4-28, with a matriarchal hierarchy. All females in the group share parenting responsibility and stay in their natal groups forever. Any males born into the group must leave before reaching sexual maturity.

They are a territorial species and typically sleep in limestone cliffs to avoid their natural predators like birds of prey, snakes, and cats such as the clouded leopard.

These monkeys can be found in Nonggang Nature Reserve in China where they are most prevalent. The natives hunt the langurs believing it has medicinal properties that can be extracted by making wine out of their bones, because of the constant threat from predators, humans, and animals alike, the langur's population in China is estimated to be between 1,400-1,600 individuals.

So, I've told you about those odd few I'll give you some general knowledge for your next trivia night.

Monkeys can understand written numbers and can even count.

While they are all primates, apes, gibbons, lemurs, and chimpanzees are not scientifically classified as monkeys. Some differences between monkeys and apes are that monkeys have tails and are not as intelligent as apes.

Monkeys that live in Central and South America are called "New World" monkeys while the monkeys that live in Africa and Asia are "Old World" monkeys.

The largest monkey in the world is the male Mandrill. Fully grown it reaches 3.3 feet long and weighs around 77 pounds.

Monkeys are found almost everywhere on earth except Australia and Antarctica.

The Diana monkey was named after the Roman goddess of hunting.

Every year, about 55,000 primates are used as test animals in the U.S., while Japan uses millions of primates.

A chimpanzee who had eaten 2 different types of monkeys with 2 different viruses created a hybrid virus that we know today as HIV.

Depending on the species a monkey's lifespan can be anywhere from 10-50 years.

The first monkey in space was Albert II who was a Rhesus Monkey. He flew in the V-2 rocket the US launched on June 14, 1949.

Now that we know the smallest monkey, where HIV came from, and what type of monkey went to space first, I hope it inspired you to go learn more about the primates that some of us may live with. I also hope you learned a few things you didn't know before.