Squirrel Monkey
Saimiri boliviensis
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Primates
FAMILY: Cebidae
SIZE:
Length of body and head, 10.25 - 14.25 inches; Weight 0.66 - 2.25 lbs
RANGE:
Central and South America
HABITAT:
Forests lining South American waterways
DIET:
Wild - Insects, berries, fruits, snails, vegetation, birds, eggs
Zoo - Biscuits, fruits, vegetables, mealworms, crickets, apple juice
ADAPTATIONS:
Live in bands of 12 - 100 members, led by females
Arboreal (tree dwellers) -- move silently through the treetops decending to ground only rarely
Constantly groom their fur
Very susceptible to parasitic infections
Can make 26 different sounds
Non-prehensile tail
When demarcating its own territory, it leaves a scent by soaking its body, especially its tail in its urine.
YOUNG:
One -- Males double their body size during mating season
STATUS:
CITES App. II; declining due to habitat destruction, hunting for meat, and the pet trade; it is being bred in captivity.
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