Seven species of long-limbed New World monkeys that live high in the rainforest canopy. They hang by a prehensile tail with their limbs dangling, like a spider on a web, and have reduced or missing thumbs. All seven species are threatened.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Widely hunted for food because of its size, and gone from many easy-to-reach areas.
At a glance
Found inSouth America, Central America
HabitatRainforest
ColoursBlack, Brown
SizeMedium
Length30–63 cm, plus a 63–84 cm tail (Geoffroy's)
WeightAbout 11 kg (males of the largest species)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives introops
Lives for20–27 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Tropical forests from southern Mexico to Brazil.
- What it eats
- Mostly fruit, with some leaves, flowers and insects.
Did you know
Its tail works as a fifth limb and can pick things up on its own.
Bands of up to 35 split into smaller parties to forage during the day.
When threatened, they may break off branches weighing up to 4 kg and drop them on the intruder.
Often confused with
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