Spider Monkeys(:

Spider Monkeys(:
By: Alyssa Peters



With hundreds and hundreds of spider animals that live on this planet we call

Earth, there are different ways we can describe an animal. There different

Environments for different animals. When I say tropical what’s the first thing that

Comes to your mind? Palm trees? Frogs? Forest? Monkeys? Deep in the

Tropical forests of South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil there are a

Bunch of different species. One in particular, the spider monkey. Spider

Monkeys live in the upper layers of the rainforest and forage in the high canopy

82 to 98 feet above the forest floor. The black spider monkeys are shiny black,

With hair that spreads around its entire body, except for its face, palms and the

Soles of the feet. As the monkey mutates into a adult their face turns to a

Pinkish or a reddish tint depending on the monkey. Spider monkeys are a unique

Monkey, they use their tail as a fifth hand. Their tail may be up to 35 inches long.

They are very flexible monkeys, they don’t have a thumb. Don’t you think that?

Would make it hard for them to hunt and eat? Wrong. Most monkeys eat with

Their hands but this monkey uses their tail. Spider monkeys hang from trees and

Grab food with their hands they also hang over ponds and water puddles and drink

upside down by their tail. They are rarely on the forest floor,they do have

Predators. Certain hawks, jaguars, cougars, and great, big snakes. The average

Weight for a male spider monkey is 23.8 pounds and their average height is

1.83 feet. The female’s average weight is 21.3 pounds and their average height

Is 1.81 feet. Spider monkeys dwell in the rain forest with high altitudes, much

Rather preferring to live in the trees than on the ground. They can produce a

Wide range of sounds and will “bark “when threatened, other vocalizations

Include a whinny similar to a horse and screams. The spider monkeys brain is

Twice the size of a howler monkey brain. This is thought to be a result of the

Spider monkey complex social ability and overwhelming diet, that normal’s

Consists of ripe fruit and over 150 species of plants. Monkeys may live 20 years

Or more. Due to the monkeys very flexible capabilities their tail is called a

prehensile tail that is a muscular and tactile that is used as an extra hand. These

monkeys have to remember a vary of different food sources, including where

They find their plants and fruits and what season they can get their special types

Of food. Spider monkeys live in a closed social unit called communities which are

Composed of some 1-30 members. Usually a male leads the pack, right? Wrong.

In the spider monkey pack they have a female run and lead the pack. It’s been

Recorded that with one swing of the arm a spider monkey can cover 40 feet.

Another interesting fact is that a female can only have one baby at a time. No

Twins or triplets, the female monkeys remain pregnant for 232 days before


Giving birth. When the baby reaches five months of age, it will switch to being

Carried on the mother’s backside instead of the front. Spider monkeys are

Regularly active during the day and sleep at night. They settle themselves high in

Trees that are unguarded by branches and leaves. Spider Monkeys are huge

Contributors to our nature.