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The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkey
New World monkey

New World monkeys are the four families of primates that are found in Central America and South America: Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae and Atelidae....
s of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.

Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 in the canopy layer. Most species have para- or allopatric ranges in the Amazon
Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest , also known as Amazonia, or the Amazon jungle, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America....
, while S. oerstedii is found disjunctly
Disjunct distribution

In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically....
 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
 and Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
.

Squirrel monkey fur is short and close, colored olive at the shoulders and yellowish orange on its back and extremities.






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The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkey
New World monkey

New World monkeys are the four families of primates that are found in Central America and South America: Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae and Atelidae....
s of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.

Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 in the canopy layer. Most species have para- or allopatric ranges in the Amazon
Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest , also known as Amazonia, or the Amazon jungle, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America....
, while S. oerstedii is found disjunctly
Disjunct distribution

In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically....
 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
 and Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
.

Squirrel monkey fur is short and close, colored olive at the shoulders and yellowish orange on its back and extremities. Their throat and the ears are white and their mouths are black. The upper part of their head is hairy. This black and white face gives them their German
German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
 name, "skull monkeys".

Squirrel monkeys grow to 25 to 35 cm, plus a 35 to 42 cm tail. They weigh 750 to 1100g. Remarkably, the brain mass to body mass ratio for squirrel monkeys is 1:17, which gives them the largest brain, proportionately, of all the primate
Primate

A primate is a member of the biological order Primates , the group that contains lemurs, the Aye-aye, Lorisidaes, galagos, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes, with the last category including humans....
s. Monkeys are the closest animals to humans.Human
Human

A human being, also human or man, is a member of a species of bipedalism primates in the family Hominidae . Mitochondrial DNA evidence indicates that modern humans originated in east Africa about 200,000 years ago....
s have a 1:35 ratio.

Female squirrel monkeys have a pseudo-penis
Pseudo-penis

A pseudo-penis is a term used of any structure found on an animal that while superficially appearing to be a penis, is derived from a different developmental path....
 that they use to display dominance over smaller monkeys, much like the way the male squirrel monkeys display their dominance.

Like most of their New World monkey relatives, squirrel monkeys are diurnal
Diurnal animal

Scientific term refered to as an animal behavior, diurnality indicates an animal that is active during the daytime and rests during the night. Animals that are not diurnal might be Nocturnality or crepuscular .  Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects and birds....
 and arboreal
Arboreal

Arboreal is a word meaning "related to or resembling trees". Its meaning comes from the Latin arbor, meaning tree.In biology, an arboreal animal is one which inhabits or spends large amounts of time in trees or Shrubes....
. Unlike the other New World monkeys, their tail is not used for climbing, but as a kind of "balancing pole" and also as a tool. Their movements in the branches are extremely speedy.

They live together in multi-male/multi-female groups with up to 500 members. These large groups can, however, occasionally break into smaller troops. They have a number of vocal calls, including warning sounds to protect themselves from large falcon
Falcon

A falcon is any species of bird of prey in the genus Falco. The word comes from their Latin name falco, related to Latin falx because of the shape of these birds' wings....
s, which are a natural threat to them. Their small body size also makes them susceptible to predators such as snakes and felids. For marking territory, squirrel monkeys rub their tail and their skin with their own urine.

Squirrel monkeys are omnivore
Omnivore

Omnivores are species that eating both plants and animals as their primary food source. They are opportunistic, general feeders not specifically adapted to eat and digest either meat or plant material exclusively....
s, eating primarily fruits and insects. Occasionally they also eat nuts, buds, eggs and small vertebrates.

The mating of the squirrel monkeys is subject to seasonal influences. Females give birth to young during the rainy season, after a 150- to 170-day gestation. The mothers exclusively care for the young. Saimiri oerstedti are weaned by 4 months of age, while S. boliviensis are not fully weaned until 18 months old. Female squirrel monkeys reach sexual maturity at age 3 years, while males take until age 5. They live to about 15 years old in the wild, about 20 years in captivity.

The Common Squirrel Monkey S. sciureus is captured for the pet trade and for medical research but it is not endangered. Three squirrel monkey species are in danger of extinction. S. o. oerstedti is listed as endangered, S. o. citrinellus is listed as critically endangered
Critically endangered

---- Organisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct....
 and S. vanzolinii is listed as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species

A vulnerable species is a species which is likely to become Endangered species unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve....
.

Classification

Until 1984, all South American squirrel monkeys were generally consider part of a single widespread species, and many zoologists considered the Central American Squirrel Monkey to be a member of that single species as well. The two main groups currently recognized can be separated by the white above the eyes; it being shaped as a Gothic
Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
 ("pointed") Arch in the S. sciureus group, while it is shaped as a Roman
Roman architecture

The Architecture of Ancient Rome adopted the external Greek Architecture for their own purposes, which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new architecture style....
 ("rounded") Arch in the S. boliviensis group.

  • Genus Saimiri
    • S. sciureus group
      • Central American Squirrel Monkey
        Central American Squirrel Monkey

        The Central American Squirrel Monkey is a squirrel monkey species from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama. It is restricted to the northwestern tip of Panama near the border with Costa Rica, and the central and southern Pacific Ocean coast of Costa Rica, primarily in Manuel Antonio National Park and Corcovado National Parks....
        , Saimiri oerstedii
        • Black-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey
          Black-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey

          The Black-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey is a subspecies of the Central American Squirrel Monkey. Its range is restricted to the Pacific Ocean coast of western Panama to the western portion of the Chiriqui Province and of southern Costa Rica, south of the Rio Grande de Terraba, including the Osa Peninsula....
          , Saimiri oerstedii oerstedii
        • Grey-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey
          Grey-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey

          The Grey-crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey is a subspecies of the Central American Squirrel Monkey. Its range is restricted to the Pacific Ocean coast of central Costa Rica....
          , Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus
      • Common Squirrel Monkey
        Common Squirrel Monkey

        The Common Squirrel Monkey is a small New World monkey primate from the Cebidae family, and native to the tropical areas of South America....
        , Saimiri sciureus
        • Saimiri sciureus sciureus
        • Saimiri sciureus albigena
        • Humboldt's Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri sciureus cassiquiarensis
        • Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri sciureus macrodon
      • Bare-eared Squirrel Monkey
        Bare-eared Squirrel Monkey

        The Bare-eared Squirrel Monkey is a squirrel monkey endemic to Brazil.References*...
        , Saimiri ustus
    • S. boliviensis group
      • Black-capped Squirrel Monkey
        Black-capped Squirrel Monkey

        The Black-capped Squirrel Monkey is a South American squirrel monkey, found in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.ReferencesExternal links...
        , Saimiri boliviensis
        • Bolivian Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis
        • Peruvian Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri boliviensis peruviensis
      • Black Squirrel Monkey
        Black Squirrel Monkey

        The Black Squirrel Monkey , or Blackish Squirrel Monkey, is a small New World monkey primate, endemic to Brazil.This squirrel monkey has one of the most restricted geographical distributions for a primate, living in the Amazonian V?rzea forest in the confluence of the Japura river and Amazon river rivers....
        , Saimiri vanzolini


Gallery


External links

  • reforestation for the endemic Squirrel Monkey of Panama and Costa Rica