The red-faced spider monkey (''Ateles paniscus'') also known as the Guiana spider monkey or red-faced black spider monkey, is a species of

spider monkey Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus ''Ateles'', part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The g ...

found in the rain forests in northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. The species faces issues with

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

and

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, so is listed as Vulnerable on the

IUCN Redlist The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

Description

The red-faced spider monkey has long, black hair and a red or pink face that is bare except for a few short, white hairs. Infants are born with dark faces, which lighten as they age.

Sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

in the species is small; the head-body length of the male is on average, while the female is around in length. The male weighs around , while the female weighs around . The tail is

prehensile Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ (anatomy), organ that has Adaptation (biology), adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term ''prehendere'', meaning "to grasp". The ability to grasp is likely der ...

(capable of grasping) and its fingers and limbs are long, agile and strong.

Behavior

The red-faced spider monkey exhibits a fission-fusion society, associating with large groups of up to 30 individuals during the night, but choosing to spend the days travelling. At night, they often sleep in large groups called bands. Bands typically consist of several females, with their respective young, along with a few males for protection. The only range size estimate was , of which had suitable habitat. The red-faced spider monkey feeds on a variety of foods and would be considered an omnivore. It will eat termites and grubs, but also feeds on supple leaves, flowers, mature seeds, tips of roots, fungi, berries and fruit. They may also consume honey, decaying wood or tree bark. It has a gestation period of 226–232 days, is

weaned Weaning is the process of gradually introducing an infant human or another mammal to what will be its adult diet while withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk. The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk. The infan ...

after four or five years when it reaches sexual maturity, and has a life span of up to 33 years in captivity.

Habitat and distribution

The red-faced spider monkey is a habitat specialist, found in undisturbed primary rainforests, in northern Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana and Venezuela. Because of its ability to climb and jump, it tends to live in the upper layers of the rainforest trees and forages in the high canopy.

Conservation

The red-faced spider monkey occurs in many protected area across its range, and is protected in the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

under the Amazon Animal Protection Act of 1973. It is listed by the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

as Vulnerable.

References

External links