Scented Monkey, The Smallest Of Primates
The squirrel monkey is the smallest of the primates, but it’s such a peculiar and interesting animal that it’s worth getting a little closer to get to know it in depth. Are you curious? Keep reading.
All About Smell Monkey
Characteristics
As we mentioned earlier, this is the smallest of the primates; it usually measures between 25 and 35 centimeters and weighs between 500 and 1100 grams. Females rarely exceed 750 grams.
The weight of males varies according to the season of the year, as, when the breeding season approaches, they accumulate water and fat in the extremities, chest and shoulders, allowing them to concentrate on other tasks and have their hands full. forces necessary to carry them out.
Their tail is very long, as they are arboreal, that is, they live in trees and move around in them. Their nails, unlike those of other primates, are flat. Their fingers are curved, which allows them to move freely through the trees.
It has a layer of short fur in orange tones on the torso and extremities, and brown on the shoulders and arms.
Your body is usually white or a very light shade, which makes it the most prominent part of your physique.
Its eyes are rounded with a small upper lid in a pinkish hue, and its gaze is intense ebony, in which it is not possible to differentiate the pupils.
There are at least five different species of squirrel monkey, each with its own characteristics:
- Central American sweet monkey
- common smelling monkey
- Geoffroy’s Smell Monkey
- Bolivian Scented Monkey
- Vanzolini Scented Monkey
food
The squirrel monkey is omnivorous, with a diet composed of fruits and insects. They can also feed on leaves, seeds, sprouts or oilseeds. They can sometimes include small vertebrate animals in their diet, such as birds or bats.
However, when the squirrel monkey hunts, it wastes no time; watches a prey that is distracted, perched on a leaf, for example, and attacks quickly and accurately.
Behavior
As we talked about earlier, the squirrel monkey lives in trees and, thanks to its tail and the shape of its paws, it has the ability to move from tree to tree in silence. Usually walks in small groups in which there are cubs, females and males.
Although groups usually have twelve members, there are exceptional cases, for unknown causes, in which up to 500 monkeys walk together. It’s amazing! We hope we don’t find one of these.
The form of communication is through sounds or even scent marks. If they see a predator nearby, before fleeing, they try to warn the others with a loud sound that the rest know how to differentiate as a warning of danger.
Remember we said that around the breeding season they accumulate fluid and fat in the extremities? This is, in addition to the reasons we’ve already explained, because the most attractive males to females are the fattest.
As far as its relationship with man is concerned, the squirrel monkey is an aggressive and scared primate, so the best thing to do is not to get too close.
We hope you enjoyed meeting this little animal, considered one of the most beautiful primates in the world.
