Spider Monkey

(Ateles geoffroyi)

Live: Mexico to Panama.

Habitat: Mainly at canopy level of trees in rainforests free from flooding. Mountainous regions.

Diet: fruit, leaves, seeds, insects, spiders and small vertebrates including birds.

Gestation: 210 - 225 days

Longevity: around 33 years.

Status: Threatened.

General: Body length: male 38 - 50cm, female 34 - 52cm; tail: up to 84cm
Weight: male 7.5 - 8.1kg, female 7.6 - 8.4kg; at birth: ~ 340g

Colour - golden brown, or red to dark brown fur.
Young - carried on the mother's abdomen for the first 4 months, then on her back.  The infant is black for its first 6 months and completely dependent on its mother. The entire group may share in care of the young.

Group size varies from 2 - 30. Usually subgroups exist of about 6 individuals with one adult male. Groups of up to 33 males may occur in dense forest areas.
They are active during the day (diurnal).
Polygamous (one male mates with several females).
Grooming is important and serves to reinforce social bonds.
Spider monkeys are ideally suited to life in the treetops. Their hands, thumbless and black as the name suggests, are elongated. They swing from branch to branch (brachiation) with their hands hooked over branches rather than holding on to them. They have a prehensile tail that acts as another hand and can support their whole weight. The tail is so dexterous that the spider monkey can pick a peanut up with it.

Their tails are hairless underneath the tip like the palm of a hand and each tail print is unique - just like fingerprints! Their feet are also elongated with a semi-opposable toe, which enables it to grasp.
If you look at the legs and tail of the spider monkey you will see how it got its name. These are very long and slender and the monkeys can 'scurry' up the sides of their enclosure with ease.
Spider monkeys rely more on their sight than their sense of smell, although males will mark territories with scent glands on their chest.
When driving away intruders, these monkeys will growl and bark like a small terrier dog. They will also break off small branches and toss them at the intruder.


Dangers include humans, possibly harpy eagles and small cats.