Do you want to know what the main Characteristics of the Monkey are? Where is its habitat? or what are their customs? Well, in this article we are going to explain all these aspects, so that you can have a better idea of the most interesting aspects of this spectacular animal and some other things.
Monkey Characteristics
This interesting animal has been called a monkey, which is a mammal of the primate species, which in the taxonomic or zoological classification appears as a relative of the human being and has a certain physical and behavioral resemblance to man, greater than that which it may have. any of the other animals that exist in the world. Indeed, it is a close relative to the homo sapiens species, although not as close as other primate species such as the chimpanzee or gorilla.
They are superior animals, classified within mammals and have a high level of intelligence, so they are able to socialize, have a hierarchical organization and are capable of solving problems in a very original way.
It has been possible to count approximately 260 species of monkey in the world, which are in the greatest number of cases, of the arboreal type, which means that they live in trees. It is important to note that each species has a different name, however, they are usually used colloquially as if they were more or less synonymous, as is the case with the terms monkey, baboon or macaque.
Another colloquial aspect that we must take into account is that we tend to use the name monkey as a synonym for ape, although there are very important taxonomic differences, as is the case that apes do not have a prehensile tail, while monkeys, which they need it as an aid to be able to hold on better to the branches of the trees.
Zoological classification of the Monkey
First of all, it must be said that monkeys are vertebrate animals, because they have a bone system and a backbone, but they are also mammals, because the embryo of their offspring develops inside the females and they have breasts, with which they They feed their young at birth.
The monkeys belong to the order of primates and are divided into two families, the platyrrhine family, which are those that belong to the new world; and the cercopithecoids, which belong to the old world. They are very different from apes, which are closer to man, which are also called hominoids, as is the case with gibbons, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas.
The difference is that monkeys have a prehensile tail, a bone system that is more primitive, and they are generally smaller in size.
monkey habitat
One of the main characteristics of the monkey is known to all and it is that the monkey proliferates abundantly in the areas of Central and South America. The habitat of the monkey can be located in very hot and jungle areas that are found in the equator, but it is the case that each species has managed to adapt to very special living conditions in the savannahs and in the forests.
In the Americas, a large number of them can be found in the Mexican, Central and South American regions, while on the European continent they are found in the Gibraltar area, but there are also species in the Asian and African jungles.
Monkey Evolution
Because Charles Darwin's theory of evolution has been misunderstood, we have popularly misunderstood that the ape is an ancestor of man, when in fact it is not, since it is only a very distant relative of man. our kind.
What does seem to be scientifically certain is that all primates turn out to be descendants of a common ancestor, which diverged from all other land mammals and climbed into the trees approximately sixty-five million years ago. In that period of time, life was abundant in bird and mammal species, and the primate began to adapt evolutionarily to its new habitat, which was the arboreal one.
This first primitive primate would have given rise to lorises, lemurs, lorises and other similar species, with which the evolutionary branches that gave way to the first primates with prehensile tails began to emerge, approximately forty million years ago, and he thinks that this successful process took place on the Asian continent.
Monkey Behavior
One of the characteristics of the monkey is that it is a gregarious and social animal, which lives in groups and has the ability to give attention, company and affection.
The adaptation to life in society has been such that they have managed to organize themselves based on a hierarchical system and their ability to give that attention, affection and company is used at levels that make them resemble humans. There are groups that have managed to establish themselves and have been studied, showing that there are very strong and close relationships between them, which last over time, around a male or a group of males that leads them.
Another characteristic of the monkeys is that the females tend to stay in their birth group all their lives. As we have said, these groups of monkeys are organized hierarchically in society and in that order, each individual has a certain position, they also collaborate in habits such as mutual grooming, using the activity as a link that is strengthened between them.
Monkey Longevity
The average life expectancy of the monkey according to the species in question. The smallest species live for about 10 years, while in the case of the largest species, they can reach up to 50 years of age.
monkey feeding
The eating habits of monkeys are very varied, we could even say that it is possibly an omnivorous species, since they have the ability to feed on both plants and other animals, but it can be said that they prefer seeds, bark, fruits , insects and other species that are common in their habitat, which is the treetops.
It is also not strange that some species dedicate themselves to hunting some types of rodents and some small birds, or even that they have a predatory behavior with respect to some species of monkeys that are smaller.
Monkey Play
As we have said before, they are mammalian animals, and depend on sexual reproduction, but they reach sexual maturity when they are eighteen months old, in most cases, although depending on their life cycle, there are species that reach it at eight years old. . Other characteristics of the monkey is that, according to their species, they can be polygamous or monogamous throughout their lives. Their gestation period is between four and eight months, at the end of which they usually have one or two offspring.
Monkey Displacement
The monkeys have extremities adapted to the treetops, so that their feet and hands are equally prehensile, that is, they serve to firmly grasp the branches.
Thus, they can move with great speed and agility. On flat terrain, on the other hand, their locomotion is difficult as they lack flatter feet (like humans) to serve as support.
Monkey Diversity
It is a highly diversified class of animal, which has been divided into around 270 known and registered species, 135 in the old continent and 135 in the new, although it is not ruled out that there may be more and one of the characteristics of the monkey is possessing a wide variation of traits. These species range from small and agile monkeys such as the American marmoset, to species of great length and wingspan such as the spider monkey or the famous baboon.
The differences in terms of hair, body characteristics, proportions and other features is very large, so it is very easy to identify the species that are native to a region, and they often become the image of the fauna and biodiversity in the different areas in which they live, because they are very friendly and pose little danger to man.
Monkey Conservation Status
Unfortunately, once again we find an animal species that is threatened or in danger of extinction, as a result of the loss of its habitat due to logging and deforestation of the forests in which they live.
It is also a serious threat that they are hunted as trophies or are exterminated by farmers who consider them a threat to their crops. Of the known species, 25 are considered critically endangered, particularly in Madagascar (6 species), Vietnam (5 species), and Indonesia (3 species).
We hope that we have been able to explain to you the main Features of the Monkey and that you have enjoyed reading this article.
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