A monkey with a big face. In the world of monkeys (species)

Monkeys are primates. In addition to the usual ones, there are, for example, half-monkeys. These include lemurs, tupai, short-toed. Among ordinary monkeys, they are reminiscent of tarsiers. They separated in the Middle Eocene.

This is one of the eras of the Paleogene period, began 56 million years ago. Two more orders of monkeys emerged in the late Eocene, about 33 million years ago. We are talking about narrow-nosed and broad-nosed primates.

tarsier monkeys

Tarsiers - species of little monkeys. They are common in southeast Asia. The primates of the genus have short forepaws, and the heel section on all limbs is elongated. In addition, the brain of tarsiers is devoid of convolutions. In other monkeys, they are developed.

Sirichta

Lives in the Philippines, is the smallest of the monkeys. The length of the animal does not exceed 16 centimeters. The primate weighs 160 grams. With these sizes, the Philippine tarsier has huge eyes. They are round, convex, yellow-green and glow in the dark.

Philippine tarsiers brown or grayish. The fur of the animals is soft, like silk. Tarsiers take care of the coat, combing it with the claws of the second and third fingers. Other claws are deprived.

Bankan tarsier

Lives in the south of the island of Sumatra. The Bankan tarsier is also found in Borneo, in the rain forests of Indonesia. The animal also has large and round eyes. Their iris is brownish. The diameter of each eye is 1.6 centimeters. If we weigh the organs of vision of a Bankan tarsier, their mass will exceed the weight of the brain of a monkey.

The Bankan tarsier has larger and rounder ears than the Philippine tarsier. They are hairless. The rest of the body is covered with golden brown hairs.

tarsier cast

Included in rare species monkeys, lives on the islands of Big Sangihi and Sulawesi. In addition to the ears, the primate has a bare tail. It is covered with scales, like a rat's. There is a wool brush at the end of the tail.

Like other tarsiers, the cast has acquired long and thin fingers. With them, the primate wraps around the branches of trees, on which it spends most of its life. Monkeys look for insects and lizards among the foliage. Some tarsiers even encroach on birds.

broad-nosed monkeys

As the name implies, the monkeys of the group have a wide nasal septum. Another difference is 36 teeth. Other monkeys have fewer, at least 4.

Broad-nosed monkeys are divided into 3 subfamilies. These are capuchin-shaped, callimico and clawed. The latter have a second name - marmosets.

capuchin monkeys

Otherwise called cebids. All monkeys of the family live in the New World and have a prehensile tail. It seems to replace the fifth limb of primates. Therefore, the animals of the group are also called chaintails.

Crybaby

It lives in the north of South, in particular, in Brazil, Rio Negro and Guiana. Crybaby enters monkey species, listed in the International Red . The name of primates is associated with the lingering sounds they make.

As for the name of the family, Western European monks who wore hoods were called Capuchins. The Italians called the cassock with him "capuchio". Seeing in the New World monkeys with light muzzles and a dark "hood", the Europeans remembered the monks.

Crybaby - no big monkey up to 39 centimeters long. The tail of the animal is 10 centimeters longer. Maximum weight primate 4.5 kilograms. Females are rarely more than 3 kilos. Even in females, fangs are shorter.

favi

Otherwise referred to as brown. Primates of the species inhabit the mountainous regions of South America, in particular, the Andes. Mustard brown, brown or black individuals are found in different areas.

The body length of the favi does not exceed 35 centimeters, the tail is almost 2 times longer. Males are larger than females, gaining almost 5-kilogram weight. Occasionally there are individuals weighing 6.8 kilos.

white-breasted capuchin

The second name is an ordinary capuchin. Like the previous ones, it lives on the lands of South America. The white spot on the primate's chest extends over the shoulders. The muzzle, as befits the capuchins, is also light. The "hood" and "mantle" are brown-black.

The "hood" of the white-breasted capuchin rarely descends on the monkey's forehead. The degree of dark coat furryness depends on the sex and age of the primate. Usually, the older the capuchin, the higher his hood is raised. Females "raise" it even in their youth.

Saki Monk

In other capuchins, the length of the coat is uniform throughout the body. The saki monk has longer hairs on the shoulders and head. Looking at the primates themselves and their photo, types of monkeys you begin to discern. So, the "hood" of saki hangs on the forehead, covers the ears. The fur on the face of a capuchin almost does not contrast in color with the headdress.

Saki-monk gives the impression of a melancholic animal. This is due to the lowered corners of the monkey's mouth. She looks sad and thoughtful.

There are 8 types of capuchins in total. In the New World, these are the most intelligent and easily trained primates. They often feed on tropical fruits, occasionally chewing rhizomes, branches, catching insects.

Marmoset broad-nosed monkeys

Monkeys of the family are miniature and have claw-like nails. The structure of the feet is close to that of the tarsiers. Therefore, species of the genus are considered transitional. Marmosets belong to the higher primates, but among them the most primitive.

wistity

The second name is ordinary. In length, the animal does not exceed 35 centimeters. Females are about 10 centimeters smaller. Reaching maturity, primates acquire long brushes of fur near the ears. The decoration is white, the center of the muzzle is brown, and its perimeter is black.

On the big toes of marmosets - oblong claws. With them, primates grab onto branches, jumping from one to another.

pygmy marmoset

The length does not exceed 15 centimeters. A plus is a 20-centimeter tail. The primate weighs 100-150 grams. Outwardly, the marmoset seems larger, because it is covered with a long and thick coat of brown-golden color. The red hue and mane of hair make the monkey look like a pocket lion. This is an alternative name for a primate.

The pygmy marmoset is found in the tropics of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With sharp incisors, primates gnaw at the bark of trees, releasing their juices. The monkeys eat them.

black tamarin

Below 900 meters above sea level does not descend. In mountain forests, black tamarins in 78% of cases have a twin. This is how monkeys are born. Fraternal children are brought only in 22% of cases.

From the name of the primate it is clear that it is dark. In length, the monkey does not exceed 23 centimeters, and weighs about 400 grams.

crested tamarin

Otherwise called monkey pinche. On the head of the primate is an erokez-like crest of white, long wool. It grows from forehead to neck. During the unrest, the tuft stands on end. In a good-natured mood, the tamarin is smoothed.

The muzzle of the crested tamarin is bare down to the area behind the ears. The rest of the 20 cm primate is covered with long hair. It is white on the chest and front legs. On the back, sides, hind limbs and tail, the fur is reddish-brown.

piebald tamarin

A rare species, lives in the tropics of Eurasia. Outwardly, the piebald tamarin has a resemblance to the crested one, but there is no that same crest. The animal has a completely bare head. Ears against this background seem large. Emphasized and angular square shape heads.

Behind her, on the chest and front paws - white, long hair. The back, yuoka, hind legs and tail of the tamarin are reddish-brown.

The piebald tamarin is slightly larger than the crested one, weighs about half a kilogram, and reaches a length of 28 centimeters.

All marmosets live 10-15 years. The size and peaceful disposition make it possible to keep representatives of the genus at home.

callimico monkeys

Separated into a separate family recently, before that they belonged to marmosets. DNA tests have shown that callimico is a transitional link. There are many things from capuchins. The genus is represented by a single species.

marmoset

Included in the little-known, rare types of monkeys. Their names and features are only occasionally described in popular science articles. The structure of the teeth and, in general, the skull of a marmoset, like that of a capuchin. The face at the same time looks like the muzzle of a tamarin. The structure of the paws is also marmoset.

The marmoset has thick, dark fur. On the head, it is elongated, forming a kind of cap. To see her in captivity is good luck. Marmosets perish outside natural environment do not produce offspring. As a rule, out of 20 individuals in the best zoos in the world, 5-7 survive. At home, marmosets are healthy even less often.

narrow-nosed monkeys

Among the narrow-nosed there are monkey species in india, Africa, Vietnam, Thailand. Representatives of the genus do not live. Therefore, narrow-nosed primates are commonly called Old World monkeys. They include 7 families.

Monkey

The family includes primates of small to medium size, with approximately the same length of the fore and hind limbs. The first fingers of the hands and feet of monkeys are opposed to the rest of the fingers, like in humans.

Even members of the family have ischial calluses. These are hairless, strained areas of skin under the tail. The muzzles of marmosets are also bare. The rest of the body is covered with hair.

Hussar

Lives south of the Sahara. This is the limit of the range of monkeys. On the eastern borders of the arid, grassy territories of the hussars, their noses are white. Western representatives of the species have black noses. Hence the division of the hussars into 2 subspecies. Both are included in species of red monkeys, because they are colored in orange-scarlet.

Hussars have a slender, long-legged body. The muzzle is also elongated. When the monkey grins, powerful, sharp fangs are visible. The long tail of a primate is equal to the length of its body. The mass of the animal reaches 12.5 kilograms.

green monkey

Representatives of the species are common in the west. From there, monkeys were brought to the West Indies and the Caribbean. Here primates merge with greenery rainforest, having wool with a marsh tint. It is distinct on the back, crown, tail.

Like other monkeys, green ones have cheek pouches. They resemble those of hamsters. Macaques carry food supplies in their cheek pouches.

Javanese macaque

Otherwise called a crabeater. The name is associated with the macaque's favorite food. His fur, like that of a green monkey, casts grassy. Against this background, expressive Brown eyes.

The length of the Javanese macaque reaches 65 centimeters. The monkey weighs about 4 kilograms. The females of the species are about 20% smaller than the males.

Japanese macaque

Lives on Yakushima Island. There is a harsh climate, but there are hot, thermal springs. Near them the snow melts and primates live. They bask in hot waters. The leaders of the packs have the first right to them. The lower "links" of the hierarchy freeze on the shore.

Among the Japanese is larger than others. However, the impression is deceiving. If you cut off the thick, long hair of a steel-gray tone, the primate will be of medium size.

The reproduction of all monkeys is associated with genital skin. It is located in the area of ​​the ischial callus, swells and turns red during ovulation. For males, this is a mating signal.

Gibbon

They are distinguished by elongated forelimbs, bare palms, feet, ears and face. On the rest of the body, the coat, on the contrary, is thick and long. Like macaques, there are ischial calluses, but less pronounced. But gibbons have no tail.

silver gibbon

It is endemic to the island of Java, it does not occur outside of it. The animal is named after the color of its coat. She is gray and silver. The bare skin on the muzzle, hands and feet is black.

Silver of medium size, in length does not exceed 64 centimeters. Females often stretch only 45. The mass of the primate is 5-8 kilograms.

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbon

You cannot tell by the females of the species that they are yellow-cheeked. More precisely, the females are completely orange. On black males, golden cheeks are striking. Interestingly, representatives of the species are born light, then darken together. But during puberty, females, so to speak, return to their roots.

Yellow-cheeked live crested gibbons on the lands of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos. There primates live in families. This is a feature of all gibbons. They form monogamous couples and live with children.

Eastern hulok

The second name is the singing monkey. She lives in India, China, Bangladesh. Males of the species have bands of white wool above their eyes. On a black background, they look like gray eyebrows.

The average weight of a monkey is 8 kilograms. In length, the primate reaches 80 centimeters. There is also a Western hulok. He is devoid of eyebrows and a little larger, already weighing under 9 kilos.

Siamang

AT species of great apes not included, but among the gibbons is large, gaining 13-kilogram mass. The primate is covered with long, shaggy black hair. It fades to gray near the mouth and on the chin of the monkey.

On the neck of the Siamang is a throat pouch. With its help, the primates of the species amplify the sound. Gibbons have a habit of calling to each other between families. For this, monkeys develop their voice.

pygmy gibbon

There is no heavier than 6 kilograms. Males and females are similar in size and coloration. At all ages, monkeys of the species are black.

Once on the ground, dwarf gibbons move with their arms behind their backs. Otherwise, long limbs drag along the ground. Sometimes primates raise their arms up, using them as a balancer.

All gibbons move through the trees, alternately rearranging their front limbs. The manner is called brachiation.

orangutans

Always massive. Male orangutans are larger than females, with hooked fingers, fatty growths on the cheeks in a small guttural sac, like in gibbons.

Sumatran orangutan

Refers to red monkeys, has a fiery coat color. Representatives of the species are found on the island of Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Sumatran is included in types of great apes. In the language of the inhabitants of the island of Sumatra, the name of the primate means "forest man". Therefore, it is incorrect to write "orangutaeng". The letter "b" at the end changes the meaning of the word. In the language of the Sumatrans, this is already a “debtor”, and not a forest person.

Bornean orangutan

It can weigh up to 180 kilos with a maximum height of 140 centimeters. Monkey species - a sort of sumo wrestlers, covered in fat. The Bornean orangutan also "owes" its heavy weight to short legs against the background of a large body. lower limbs have monkey, by the way, curves.

The arms of the Bornean orangutan, as well as others, hang below the knees. But the fatty cheeks of the representatives of the species are especially fleshy, significantly expanding the face.

kalimantan orangutan

It is endemic to Kalimantan. The growth of the monkey is slightly higher than the Bornean orangutan, but it weighs 2 times less. The coat of primates is brown-red. In Bornean individuals, the fur coat is pronounced fiery.

Among the monkeys, the orangutans of Kalimantan are long-lived. The age of some ends in the 7th decade.

All orangutans have a concave skull in the front. The general outline of the head is elongated. All orangutans also have a powerful lower jaw and large teeth. The chewing surface is pronounced relief, as if wrinkled.

Gorillas

Like orangutans, they are hominids. Previously, scientists called so only man and his ape-like ancestors. However, gorillas, orangutans, and even chimpanzees share a common ancestor with humans. Therefore, the classification was revised.

coast gorilla

Lives in equatorial Africa. The growth of the primate is about 170 centimeters, weighs up to 170 kilograms, but often about 100.

The males of the species have a silver stripe running down their backs. The females are completely black. On the forehead of both sexes there is a characteristic redhead.

lowland gorilla

It is found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Congo. There, the plain settles in the mangroves. They are dying out. Together with them, the gorillas of the species also disappear.

The size of the lowland gorilla is commensurate with the parameters of the coast. But the coat color is different. Plains individuals have brown-gray fur.

mountain gorilla

The rarest, listed in the International Red Book. Less than 200 left. Living in remote mountainous areas, the view was discovered at the beginning of the last century.

Unlike other gorillas, the mountain gorilla has a narrower skull, thick and long hair. The forelimbs of the monkey are much shorter than the hind limbs.

Chimpanzee

All live in Africa, in the basins of the Niger and Congo rivers. There are no monkeys of the family above 150 centimeters and weigh no more than 50 kilograms. In addition, males and females differ slightly in shipanzee, there is no occipital ridge, and the supraorbital is less developed.

Bonobo

Considered the smartest monkey in the world. In terms of brain activity and DNA, bonobos are 99.4% close to humans. Working with chimpanzees, scientists have taught some individuals to recognize 3,000 words. Five hundred of them were used by primates in oral speech.

Growth does not exceed 115 centimeters. The standard weight of a chimpanzee is 35 kilograms. The wool is dyed black. The skin is also dark, but the lips of the bonobo are pink.

common chimpanzee

Finding out how many kinds of monkeys belong to chimpanzees, you will recognize only 2. In addition to the bonobos, the ordinary belongs to the family. He's bigger. Individual individuals weigh 80 kilograms. The maximum height is 160 centimeters.

There are white hairs on the coccyx and near the mouth of the common. The rest of the coat is brown-black. White hairs fall out during puberty. Prior to this, older primates consider marked children, treat them condescendingly.

Compared to gorillas and orangutans, all chimpanzees have a straighter forehead. At the same time, the brain part of the skull is larger. Like other hominids, primates walk only on their feet. Accordingly, the position of the chimpanzee's body is vertical.

The big toes are no longer opposed to the rest. The length of the leg exceeds the length of the palm.

Here we figured it out what are the types of monkeys. Although they have a relationship with people, the latter are not averse to feasting on their younger brothers. Lots of monkeys eat aboriginal peoples. Particularly tasty is the meat of semi-monkeys. Animal skins are also used, using the material for sewing bags, clothes, belts.

In any zoo, monkeys are the most popular. If you stand and watch these animals, you will soon be convinced that the behavior of monkeys is very similar to ours.

Monkeys are large and small. The smallest monkey is the dwarf marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), the length of its head and body is about 15 cm. The largest is the gorilla: it grows up to 1.85 m. The tail may be completely absent; however, some monkeys also have a tail that is longer than their body. For example, the body of a gulman (Presbytis entellus) is 50-70 cm long, and the tail is 65-100 cm. Its close relative, the golden-chocolate snub-nosed monkey, has a body length of 50-80, and the tail is up to 104 cm. The marmoset is not only the smallest, but and the lightest monkey; it weighs only 100 g. And the heaviest of the monkeys is the gorilla. An adult male gorilla can weigh up to 275 kg, that is, approximately 3000 times more than his little relative.

The brains of monkeys are well developed. Many have a round head or a forward muzzle. The eyes are directed forward; ears are most often similar to human ones. The facial muscles are well developed, so the monkeys have facial expressions. A particularly important feature in monkeys is their arms and legs, which they cleverly use. The tail often serves as another tool for grasping. Under the guidance of researchers, some monkeys even learn to perform complex actions- which often require a certain understanding.

Monkeys live in pairs and in small or large groups. They can breed throughout the year. They usually have only one cub, which they raise for a long time. The maximum age of monkeys is from 10 to 40 years. Biologists divide monkeys into two large groups - monkeys from the New and Old Worlds. Monkeys from the New World live exclusively in Central and South America. These include about 50 species of medium size. They all live in trees and are active during the day. New World monkeys include durukuli (Aotus), uakari (Cacajao), saki (Pithecia), saimiri (Saimiri), woolly (Lagothrix), howler monkeys (Alouatta), capuchins (Cebus) and arachnids (Ateles). The largest of them is arachnid, reaching a length of more than 60 cm and having an almost meter-long grasping tail.

Monkeys from the Old World are common in Africa and in southern regions Asia. In the extreme south of Spain lives the only barbary monkey in Europe. About 80 belong to the Old World monkeys. different types, among them rhesus macaques (M. mulatto.), baboons, hussar monkeys, langurs (Presbytis) and proboscis (Nasalis). Two more important groups belong to monkeys from the Old World: small great apes - gibbons and great great apes - orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees. Along with monkeys from the New and Old Worlds, biologists also include semi-monkeys in this order. They represent a transitional stage between insectivorous mammals and actually monkeys.

Inhabiting Africa, Southeast Asia and Madagascar lower primates, or semi-monkeys, form 6 families: blunt-like, lemurs, indrisids, bats, lorizids and tarsiers. The semi-monkeys include animals with such exotic names as maki, catta, sifaki, indri, loris, potto or galago. The smallest of the half-monkeys - mouse lemur, whose body length is 11 cm, weight 50 g. The largest is the indri, which, when it stands on its hind legs, reaches a height of 93 cm. Almost all semi-monkeys - forest dwellers, feed on plants. During the day they sleep, and at night they go in search of food; They have very large eyes and a highly developed sense of smell.

Gorillas, especially old males, inspire respect in any observer. However, despite their size and strength, they are peaceful inhabitants of the forests, feeding exclusively on plants. Animals are kept by families under the leadership of an old male with a silver stripe on his back. The day for gorillas begins with the fact that they immediately start eating after waking up and eat for 2-3 hours. Towards noon they settle down to sleep again, sometimes waking up to eat again. Toward evening, the gorillas again go in search of food. With the onset of twilight, the leader begins to build his nest for the night. Others follow his example. Unfortunately, the future of these large apes looks sad. How many gorillas are left in the forests, no one knows, estimates differ: some naturalists say that several hundred, others - several thousand.

Mandrill belongs to the monkey family, its close relatives are baboons. He lives in dense forests and roams there in groups consisting of one adult male and several females with cubs. The group can consist of 20 animals.

On the muzzle of the male mandrill, a bright red and blue pattern is noticeable. Such a motley muzzle is clearly visible among the dense trees. And it is important that all members of the group stick together.

Monkeys are medium-sized representatives of the Old World monkeys. They have a very long tail, a moderately elongated and rounded muzzle, and small and round ears. The coat is thick and long. Often sideburns or a beard are formed around the muzzle. There are 15 species of monkeys, and they all live in Africa. The most common species is the green monkey.

"Orangutan" means "forest man" in Malay. Orangutans were first described by Western researchers at the beginning of the 18th century. They arrived in Europe in 1776. However, about the life of orangutans in nature for a long time almost nothing was known. Everything has changed quite recently. Since the 1970s, extensive research programs have been carried out. The great ape roams the dense tropical forests of Asia and, unlike the gorilla and chimpanzee, lives alone.

With age, large growths in the form of rolls of fat grow on the cheeks of oratugpan males. The orangutan rarely descends from the trees. With the help of long arms, he deftly jumps from branch to branch. With the onset of evening twilight, he builds himself a large nest of leaves, and often with a roof from the rain, on a fork in the boughs. This sleeping nest is only used for one night. The next morning, the orangutan gets up and slowly moves on. Finding a tree with fruits, he climbs it and has lunch. Sometimes he settles down and takes a nap.

The existence of orangutans is under threat today. Forests in Indonesia are being cut down and the "forest man" is rapidly losing its habitat. If serious measures are not taken, then soon orangutans will remain only in zoos. Reserves settling in wet tropical forests, help protect many other species of animals and plants that are threatened with extinction.

Baboons are monkeys with a long muzzle, which justifies their name "dog-headed". They stay mainly on the ground and only in danger climb trees or rocks. Powerful fangs allow adult males to defend themselves from enemies. Even leopards are afraid of them.

For the time of sleep, baboons retire to the trees, and at dawn they descend again to search for food. They bypass their territory, doing 5-20 km per day. By evening, they again go to rest in the trees. If there are no trees, then they sleep on the eaves of sheer cliffs.

Baboons live in large herds of 40-80 individuals, but sometimes you can find a herd consisting of 200 individuals. The basis of the herd is females with cubs, an adult male looks after him. He tolerates growing males in his herd, but keeps them in obedience.

The largest of the baboons is the chakma, or bear baboon (Pargo ursinus). In this species, the body length of males reaches 1.15 m, and the weight is 30 kg. Chakma lives in South Africa.

Its close relative is the baboon hamadryas (P. hamadryas), which lives in Ethiopia, northern Somalia, northeastern Sudan and southwestern Arabia. In ancient times, hamadryas were also found in the Nile Valley. The ancient Egyptians highly revered him and dedicated him to the sun god Ra, and animal corpses were often mummified. Sexually mature males of hamadryas are decorated with sideburns and a silvery mantle (mantle) with a hair length of up to 25 cm. That is why they are sometimes called "cloaked baboons".

Chimpanzees belong to the family of great apes, their closest relatives are the gorilla and the orangutan. Like both of these species, chimpanzees also live in the forest. They roam their territory in small groups. In the morning, the monkeys eat for two hours, then rest for half a day, and in the evening they again go in search of food. Chimpanzees spend the night in nests, which are built each time new ones.

Barbary monkey, or magot (Masas sylvanus)

types of monkeys

Monkey are always at the center of everything funny. Monkey everywhere left their mark, from fables to the series "Friends". The question is, why do we scratch our heads while thinking and contemplating about something? Monkey or monkeys - that's to whom all this is attributed, since people evolved from them.

There are two main groups into which monkey species are classified. These are New World primates and Old World primates. New World primates include species from South and Central America, while Old World primates include species from Asia and Africa. Monkey from the New World have tails with which they can hold objects. On the other hand, Old World monkeys sometimes don't have tails, and if they do, there's little they can do with them. Old World primates, unlike New World primates, have flexible thumbs. Typically, the primate group includes mammals ranging from the tiny shrew to the gorilla. These two groups of primates fall into the Simian group. Almost all types of monkeys are included in this group.

New World primates

New World primates include tamarin monkeys, capuchins, squirrel monkeys (56 species), night monkeys, owl monkeys, douroucoulis (8 species), Titi, Sakis and Uakaris (41 species), howler monkeys, spider monkeys and woolly monkeys (24 species).

Monkeys: live in the upper tier of trees and are quite active. Monkeys feed on insects, fruits and leaves. Long lower incisors enable marmosets to chew on tree trunks, branches, and extract chewing materials.

Squirrel Monkeys: these monkeys are mainly found in Central and South America, in the lower level of forests. squirrel monkeys have short and dense hair. Their backs and limbs are yellow-orange in coloration, and their shoulders are olive. These species have a black and white face, and their heads are covered with hair on top.

Howler Monkeys: the largest of the New World monkeys, they have round, widely spaced nostrils and short muzzles. They can be called the laziest monkeys, because they rarely leave their homes.

Tamarins: These monkeys live in tropical rain forests. They are primarily omnivorous, and can be differentiated as their body coloration usually ranges from shades of black, brown, and white. Their lower fangs are longer than the incisors.

Primates of the Old World

This subgroup includes a whopping 135 species of monkeys. The broader categories of these are baboons, colobus, slender-bodied, macaques, mandrills, and mangabeys. There is another category, the great ape, which is not an ape, but is nevertheless an ape. it gibbons or "lesser great apes", which includes 13 species, and higher primates - orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo (pygmy chimpanzee) and human.

Gibbons: these monkeys, the smallest of the monkeys, have mastered the art of brachiation, that is, they can move from branch to branch. Among the tree-dwelling and non-flying mammals, they are the fastest and most flexible. Their fur can range in color from black and brown to white. They live in tropical and subtropical moist forests in the northeast of India, Indonesia, China and on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo.

Mandrills: mandrills, according to the Oxford Dictionary of English language, means ape-man. They are closer to baboons, but more than baboons, they are close to the Drillam monkey species. Their coat is olive in color and they also have colorful muzzles and rump. They are largest view monkeys in the world.

Baboons. They have long, dog-like muzzles and close-set eyes. Their entire body, except for the muzzle, is covered with thick fur. Their jaws are heavy and powerful. They are primarily terrestrial, mostly found in open savannas, forests, and hills throughout Africa. They are mostly vegetarian, however, they can also eat insects. Thus, they can also be called omnivores.

In addition to the aforementioned species, there are many more varieties of monkeys around the world. In fact, there are many more of these funny and intelligent mammals than we perceive. There is no doubt that this is one of the most interesting mammals on the ground.

Surely it is no secret to anyone that for a long time in scientific circles the monkey was considered our closest relative, and the origin of man was from the monkey. Now this scientific theory is being called into question, not all scientists believe that we, the so-called "homo sapiens" are descended from monkeys. However, scientific disputes on this subject are still ongoing, but our article is not about this, but about those amazing creatures, our smaller brothers, who, among all the diverse animal world of planet Earth, are really most similar to us, people, in their structure.

Monkey: description, structure, characteristics. What does a monkey look like?

Let's start with the fact that the very origin of the name "monkey" is very curious. Until the 16th century, we called the monkey "opica", by the way, the Czechs still call it that. After the Russian traveler Athanasius Nikitin returned from his famous trip to India, he brought into use the Persian name "abuzina", meaning literally "father of fornication". Subsequently, the Persian "abuzina" was actually transformed into a "monkey".

The body length of a monkey, depending on its species, can range from 15 cm (for a pygmy igunka) to 2 m (for a gorilla). Also, the mass of a monkey can be from 150 grams in the smallest representatives of the species, up to 275 kg - this is how much huge gorillas weigh.

Many monkeys lead an arboreal lifestyle, that is, they mainly live in trees and, as a result, have a long back, a shortened narrow chest, and thin hip bones. But orangutans and gibbons have a wide chest and massive pelvic bones.

Some monkeys have a very long tail, the length of which can even exceed the size of the body, the monkey's tail acts as a balancer when moving between trees. But the monkeys living on the ground have a very short tail. As for monkeys without a tail, all "humanoid" monkeys do not have it (as well as people do not have it).

The body of monkeys is covered with hair of different colors, depending on the species, it can be light brown, red, black and white, gray-olive. Some adult monkeys can turn gray with age, and male monkeys can go bald, again almost like people.

Monkeys have mobile, well-developed upper limbs, very similar to our hands, each with five fingers, and monkeys living in trees have short and large fingers, which allows them to fly comfortably from branch to branch.

Monkeys have binocular vision, many of them have black pupils of the eyes.

The teeth of monkeys are also similar to those of humans, narrow-nosed monkeys have 32 teeth, and broad-nosed monkeys have 36.

The brain of the monkey is also very well developed; among other representatives of the animal world, only dolphins could compete with monkeys in terms of intelligence. Great apes have entire regions of the brain responsible for meaningful actions.

Monkeys communicate with each other using a special signal system, consisting of facial expressions and sounds. The most "talkative" among them are monkeys and capuchins, they have rich facial expressions, are able to express a wide range of feelings.

Where do monkeys live

Monkeys live on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, of course. In Europe, they live only in Gibraltar, in Southeast Asia, Africa (with the exception of Madagascar), Central and South America, and Australia.

Monkey lifestyle

Monkeys live in small families and, according to their lifestyle, are divided into tree monkeys living in trees and terrestrial ones living on the ground. Monkeys usually lead sedentary life and rarely leave their territory.

Sometimes there are clashes between male monkeys, with the goal of deciding the answer to the question “who is the main male here”, although often such clashes are limited to a demonstration of the strength of each male and do not reach a real fight.

How long do monkeys live

On average, the life expectancy of monkeys is 30-40 years. However, great apes live longer, they can live up to 50 years.

What do monkeys eat

Monkeys are omnivorous animals, and their diet depends on one or another species and also on the habitat. Tree monkeys eat everything that can be obtained from trees - leaves, various fruits, nuts, and sometimes insects.

Terrestrial monkeys feed on rhizomes and shoots of plants (for example, fern - favorite treat gorillas), fruits (figs, mangoes, and, of course, bananas). Also, some monkeys know how to fish, eat mollusks, rodents, grasshoppers, beetles and other small animals with pleasure.

Although there are species of monkeys that eat only one, certain food, for example, Japanese short-tailed macaques are pure vegetarians and feed exclusively on tree bark, and the crab-eating macaque, as its name implies, eats crabs.

Monkey Enemies

Unfortunately, the monkeys themselves have many enemies in natural conditions who is not averse to feasting on these primates. The most sworn enemies of monkeys are leopards, which are also capable of climbing trees well and other predatory "" - lions, cheetahs.

Types of monkeys, photos and names

In general, all types of monkeys can be divided into:

• broad-nosed monkeys - this includes monkeys that live on the American continent,
• narrow-nosed monkeys - all other monkeys that live in Africa, Asia, Australia and European Gibraltar.

Regarding different types of monkeys, zoologists have separately distinguished the types of anthropoid apes, types of small monkeys, etc. In general, there are more than 400 species of these primates in nature, below we will describe the most interesting of them.

It is a member of the spider monkey family. It is named so due to the fact that it makes characteristic sounds that can be heard at a distance of up to 5 km. The males of the black howler are covered with black hair and fully justify their name, but the females of the black howler are not black at all, their coat is yellow-brown or olive. The length of this monkey is 56-67 cm, with a weight of 6.7 kg. The black howler lives in South America, on the territory of countries such as Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia.

Belonging to the chaintail family, the capuchin is an arboreal monkey that lives in trees. The weight of a capuchin is 3 kg. Has a brown or gray-brown color. A very curious feature of this species of monkeys is their habit of rubbing themselves with poisonous centipedes () to protect themselves from blood-sucking insects. Mourning capuchins live in the crowns of the tropical forests of Brazil, Venezuela.

It got its unusual name due to its gray with shades of blue color and a white stripe of wool that passes over the eyebrows like a crown. The body length of the crowned monkey is 50-60 cm and weighs 5-6 kg. Monkeys live in African forests from the Congo Basin to Ethiopia and Angola.

Belongs to great apes gibbon family. It has a length of 55-65 cm and a weight of 5-6 kg. The coat color of the white-handed gibbon can be black, sand or brown, but its hands are always white, hence the name. These gibbons live in the tropical forests of China and the Malay Archipelago.

eastern gorilla

Gorilla is the largest monkey in the world. The average size of a gorilla is 185 cm with a body weight of 180 kg. Although sometimes there are also larger gorillas, weighing all 220 kg. These huge monkeys distinguished by a large head, broad shoulders, developed chest. The color of the gorilla's coat is black; in old age, gorillas, like people, can turn gray. Despite their formidable appearance, gorillas prefer to eat grass, plant shoots, rather than hunt for game. Gorillas live in the equatorial forests of Central and West Africa.

He is also a white-headed saki, in our opinion, this monkey has the strangest appearance - the black color of his coat contrasts brightly with the white color of his face. The size of pale saki is 30-48 cm and weighs 2 kg. This is a tree monkey living in the forests of Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname.

He is a flattened baboon, is a species of narrow-nosed monkeys who spend their entire lives exclusively on earth. It is also a rather large monkey, the body length of the hamadryas is 70-100 cm, weight 30 kg. It also has an unusual appearance - long hair on the shoulders and chest forms a kind of fur cape. The hamadryas lives both in Africa and Asia in a number of countries, such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen.

The nosy monkey, she is also a kahau, belongs to the monkey family. A striking feature of this monkey is large sizes nose, which the monkeys even have to hold with their hands during the meal. It has a yellow-brown color. The size of the nose is 66-77 cm with a weight of 15-22 kg. It also has a long tail, which is equal to length their bodies. These unusual species of monkeys live exclusively on the island of Borneo.

Living in the northern part of the Japanese island of Honshu, this monkey is a real calling card these places. The size of the Japanese macaque is 80-95 cm, weight 12-14 kg. These monkeys have bright red skin, which is especially noticeable on their face and buttocks, devoid of wool. Macaques living in northern Japan experience the cold winter months in special thermal springs, warming themselves in their hot waters (and at the same time attract crowds of tourists from all over the world).

The Sumatran orangutan is a rather large monkey, its size reaches one and a half meters and weighs 150-160 kg. In terms of size, the orangutan occupies honorary second place after gorilla. It has a well-developed musculature, a massive body covered with red hair, climbs trees perfectly. The muzzle of the orangutan has fatty rollers located on the cheeks, and the beard and mustache give it a very funny look. The charismatic Sumatran orangutan lives exclusively on the island of Sumatra.

For some reason, monkeys are most associated with the chimpanzee, which is the most characteristic representative of the monkey kingdom. Chimpanzees are also relatively large monkeys, their body length is 140-160 cm and weighs 65-80 kg, that is, they are like people in their size. The body of a chimpanzee is covered with black fur. It is also very curious that these anthropoid apes are the only ones who thought of creating a semblance of tools that facilitate the process of obtaining food, they are able to sharpen the ends of sticks, turning them into imitation spears, they can use stone leaves as traps for insects, etc. Without a doubt, it is chimpanzees are the most intelligent among the monkeys, and if Darwin's theory is right, then it is they who are in the closest family connection with us people. Chimpanzees live mainly in Central and West Africa.

And finally, it was impossible not to mention pygmy marmoset- the smallest monkey in the world. Its length is only 10-15 cm, weight - 100-150 grams. They live in the forests of South America, feeding exclusively on tree sap.

Reproduction of monkeys in nature

Reproduction of monkeys occurs throughout the year and for each species has its own individual characteristics. Puberty in monkeys usually occurs by 7-8 years. Some species of monkeys are monogamous and create permanent families for life, others, such as capuchins, on the contrary, are polygamous, so female capuchins mate with several males, males do the same.

The pregnancy of a monkey can last from 6 to 8.5 months, again depending on the species. Usually one cub is born at a time, but there are species of monkeys that can give birth to twins.

Little monkeys, like real primates, are fed by their mothers. breast milk, and the period of feeding is also different for different monkeys. The female gorilla feeds her cubs the longest - this period lasts up to 3.5 years.

Keeping monkeys at home

Despite the fact that monkeys are wild creatures, nevertheless, they are very easy to train, get used to captivity, and under favorable conditions feel quite comfortable in zoos. The truth is to keep a monkey at home is not the most best idea, they are terrible mischievous and fidgety, and if you already decide to start pet monkey, then you should get ready that she will arrange real chaos in your house. To prevent it, the monkey can be kept in some spacious cage.

You can feed the monkey with fish, chicken or turkey meat, boiled eggs, vegetables, nuts, fresh fruits.

• Some species of monkeys are very clean and spend almost the whole day caring for their appearance.
• During the development of astronautics, 32 monkeys have already managed to visit space.
• Spider monkeys have such a developed and strong tail that they can easily hang on a tree branch with just one help.
• A group of American scientists managed to teach a female gorilla a certain number of words from the language of the deaf and dumb, after which she was able to quite successfully communicate with people.

monkeys video

And finally, interesting documentary about monkeys from the Discovery Channel - "Monkeys on the Warpath"