A monkey (anthropoid, higher primate) is a mammal, closest in structure to humans, belongs to the order Primates, suborder of dry-nosed primates, infraorder Simiiformes.

The origin of the Russian word “monkey” is quite interesting. Until the 16th century, the monkey in Rus' was called “opitsa” - the same as the Czechs now call it. At the same time, the Persians called the monkey “elderberry”. According to one version, Afanasy Nikitin brought this name with him from his travels and used it in his work “Walking across Three Seas.” According to another version, the monkey got its name from the word “abuzina”. At the same time, Ushakov’s dictionary clarifies that “abuzina” is translated from Arabic as “father of fornication.”

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

The body length of an adult monkey can vary from 15 cm (for the pygmy marmoset) to 2 meters (for the male gorilla). The weight of a monkey also depends on the species. If the body weight of a small monkey barely reaches 150 grams, then individual gorillas weigh up to 275 kg.

Most arboreal monkey species have a long back, short and narrow chest, and thin hip bones.

Gibbons and orangutans have a wide chest, as well as massive pelvic bones.

Some monkeys have a long tail that exceeds the length of the body and acts as a balancer when moving through trees.

Monkeys living on the ground have a short tail, while apes have no tail at all.

The body of monkeys is more or less covered with hair of various colors from light brown and red to black and white and gray-olive.

Adults sometimes turn gray over the years, and male monkeys even go bald just like humans.

Monkeys are characterized by mobile, well-developed upper limbs, endowed with 5 fingers, the phalanges of which end in nails, as well as an opposable thumb.

The extent to which a monkey’s arms and legs are developed directly depends on its lifestyle.

Monkeys, who spend most of their lives in trees, have short thumbs, which makes it easy to fly from branch to branch using limb swings.

But, for example, the feet of baboons are long and graceful, convenient for walking on the ground.

Most monkeys have binocular vision, and the whites of their eyes are as black as their pupils.

The dental system is similar to the human one, but differs between narrow-nosed and broad-nosed monkeys. Narrow-nosed monkeys have 32 teeth, while broad-nosed monkeys have 36.

The teeth of apes are massive and have a complex root structure.

The monkey's brain is well developed and has a complex structure.

Apes have highly developed parts of the brain responsible for meaningful movements.

Monkeys communicate using a special signaling system consisting of facial expressions and sounds. Monkeys and capuchins are considered especially noisy and talkative.

Both methods of transmitting information in monkeys are well developed and can demonstrate the widest range of feelings, which is expressed, first of all, by rich facial expressions.

Monkeys live on almost all continents: in Europe (namely in Gibraltar), in the south and southeast of Asia (in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, China, Japan), in Africa (except Madagascar), in the tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America, in Australia. Antarctica is not inhabited by monkeys.

Chimpanzee live in the countries of Western and Central Africa: Senegal, Guinea, Angola, Congo, Chad, Cameroon and others.

Habitat macaques extends from hot Afghanistan to the countries of Southeast Asia, including Japan. The Magot macaque lives in North Africa and Gibraltar, representing the only species of the family. Macaques live in Cambodia and Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines; small populations are found in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

Gorillas live in the equatorial forests of western and central Africa. Populations are found in Gambia and Cameroon, in Mauritania and Chad, and inhabit Guinea and Benin.

Orangutans They live only in the rainforests of the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Monkeys howler monkeys They live mainly in the countries of southern Mexico and Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina.

Monkeys They live in Southeast Asia, throughout the Arabian Peninsula and the African continent. In Europe, monkeys live only in Gibraltar.

Almost all varieties gibbons They live only in the Asian region. Their natural habitat is the forest areas of India and Malaysia, the humid tropical thickets of Burma, Cambodia and Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Hamadryas (baboons) distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Africa, being the only primate living in the northeastern part of the continent (Egypt and Sudan). Baboons are also found on the territory of the Arabian Peninsula.

Habitat capuchins includes vast expanses of tropical rainforests from Honduras in the north of the range to southern Brazil and Venezuela in the south.

Tamarins they prefer to settle in the warmest regions of Central America, in the cozy climate of Costa Rica and in the favorable South America - that is, almost throughout the entire area of ​​​​the fertile Amazonian lowland. Certain species of tamarins thrive in Bolivia and Brazil.

Monkeys baboons very widespread in Central and Eastern Africa: they live in Kenya and Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan, Congo and Angola.

Monkeys saki- inhabitants of South America. Found in Venezuela, Colombia, Chile.

How do monkeys live?

Some monkeys live in trees: some prefer to live in the very crowns, others live in the lower tiers, but leave their habitats if absolutely necessary.

Land monkeys live in a specific individual territory, but borders are rarely guarded. Random encounters between a dominant male and a lone male usually end in a visual demonstration of dominance, and it rarely comes to a fight.

The average lifespan of monkeys is 30-40 years, some monkeys live up to 50 years.

Monkeys are omnivores, and the diet of each species depends on its habitat. Tree monkeys eat what they can get from trees: leaves, buds, young shoots, nuts, fruits. Sometimes insects are added to the food.

Land monkeys have a much wider choice of food: they eat rhizomes and shoots of plants, including ferns - a favorite delicacy of the gorilla.

All monkeys have a varied diet and, in addition to various sugary fruits (figs, mangoes, etc.), they happily eat fish, shellfish, rodents, and anything else edible that they can find or catch.

Some species of monkeys eat a specific type of food: for example, Japanese stump-tailed macaques eat only tree bark, cynomolgus macaques feed exclusively on crabs, and marmosets use their long incisors to extract and eat gum.

Chimpanzees, in addition to being the only species of monkey that can create hunting accessories to facilitate the process of obtaining food, attack birds, small animals and small monkeys, including other chimpanzees.

But baboons always hunt in large groups, so they are one of the most dangerous predators in the jungle.

Types of monkeys, names and photos

The infraorder Apes is divided into 2 parvoorders:

• Broad-nosed monkeys(Platyrrhini), which includes species of monkeys found in Central and South America.
• Narrow-nosed monkeys(Catarrhini) - species of monkeys living in Africa, Asia, 1 species lives in Europe (Gibraltar).

The modern classification identifies more than 400 species of monkeys or higher primates. Each species of monkey is individual in its own way, but they all have common features. Among the diversity of representatives of the order of primates, the following species of monkeys are of greatest interest:

• (Alouatta caraya)

a member of the spider monkey family. The howler monkey makes characteristic roaring sounds that can be heard 5 km away. The males are covered with black hair, the female monkey is yellow-brown or olive in color, the cubs are golden-yellow. The length of a male monkey is 52-67 cm and weighs 6.7 kg; females are much smaller and grow up to 49 cm in size and weigh 4.4 kg. The basis of the diet is fruits and foliage. The howler monkey lives in Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina.

• Mourning Capuchin(Cebus olivaceus)

a species of monkey from the prehensile-tailed family. The weight of a male monkey reaches 3 kg, females are a third smaller. The color of the monkey is brown or light brown, with a grayish tint, and there is a characteristic triangle of black hair on the head. Within the pack, infanticide is practiced - the deliberate killing of cubs, as well as grooming - mutual picking of fur. To protect themselves from blood-sucking insects, monkeys rub themselves with poisonous centipedes. Black capuchins are omnivores and eat a variety of insects, small vertebrates, fruits and young tree shoots. They live in the crowns of virgin forests in Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname.

• Crowned monkey (blue monkey)(Cercopithecus mitis)

got its name due to its gray color with a blue tint and a white stripe of fur passing over the eyebrows like a crown. The body length of an adult is from 50 to 65 cm, body weight is 4-6 kg. The male monkey is distinguished by well-developed white sideburns and long fangs compared to females. This species of animal is widespread in the forests and bamboo groves of the African continent, from the Congo River basin to Ethiopia, Zambia and Angola.

• White-handed gibbon (lar) (Hylobates lar)

a species of apes of the gibbon family. Adult monkeys of both sexes grow to 55-63 cm in length and have a body weight of 4-5.5 kg. The monkey's fur color can be black, brown or sand, and its arms and legs are always white. The monkey's diet consists of fruits, leaves and insects. White-handed gibbons are monogamous and lead a predominantly arboreal lifestyle in the tropical forests of China and the Malay Archipelago.

• Eastern gorilla(Gorilla beringei)

the largest monkey in the world. According to the testimony of famous zoologists, a giant male gorilla was killed by hunters at the beginning of the last century: his height was 2 m 32 cm. Usually the size of a male monkey reaches 185 cm with a body weight of 160 kg (sometimes 220 kg). Female gorillas are much smaller; the adult body length is 150 cm and weighs 70-114 kg. Massive animals, distinguished by a large head, broad shoulders, open chest and long legs. The coat color is mostly black, but in the mountain gorilla subspecies it has a blue tint. A stripe of silvery fur runs along the back of seasoned males. Monkeys feed on all parts of plants, less often invertebrates and fungi.

• Pale saki (white-headed saki)(Pithecia pithecia)

a type of broad-nosed monkey with long, shaggy hair that rarely leaves the trees. The size of adult animals reaches from 30 to 48 cm in length, a male monkey weighs about 2 kg, a female monkey is slightly lighter. The black coat color of the males contrasts markedly with the white or pink complexion. Females are black-gray or gray-brown and just as pale. The monkeys' food consists of seeds and fruits of various trees native to Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil.

• Hamadryas (frilled baboon)(Papio hamadryas)

a species of narrow-nosed monkeys of the genus baboons, spending their entire lives on earth. The body length of adult males is 70-100 cm and weighs about 30 kg. The female monkey is 2 times smaller than the male. The male monkey is distinguished by an original arrangement of hair: long hair on the shoulders and chest forms a kind of fur cape. The color of the fur resembles the color of dry grass, and the female monkey is darker in color. The hamadryas's diet is dominated by plant rhizomes, insects, worms and snails, as well as crops from nearby plantations. Hamadryas monkeys live in open spaces of African and Asian countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Nubia, Yemen.

• Nosach, or kahau (Nasalis larvatus)

an animal from the subfamily of slender-bodied monkeys of the marmoset family. The monkey lives exclusively on the island of Borneo, forming populations in the tropical forests of its coastal regions. The color of the nosed monkey is yellowish-brown, with a whitish undercoat. The fur on the limbs and tail of the monkey has a gray tint, the muzzle is hairless, often bright red. The mammal's size ranges from 66 to 77 cm, with the monkey's tail being about the same length. The weight of a male is 15-22 kg; female monkeys are usually half that weight. A special feature of the proboscis is its unusual drooping nose. In males, it grows enormous in size with age, so the monkey has to hold its nose to eat leaves, fruits or flowers of plants.

• Japanese macaque ( Macaca fuscata)

a species of monkey mainly found in the northern part of the island of Honshu. At the end of the last century, a small population of Japanese macaques was artificially settled in Texas, where today these animals thrive. The population living on the island of Yakushima is usually classified as a separate subspecies - Macaca fuscata yakui, which is associated with some differences in the behavior and appearance of macaques. The height of a male Japanese macaque varies between 80-95 cm, weight - from 12 to 14 kg, the female monkey is slightly lower, and weighs almost 1.5 times less. The macaque monkey has bright red skin, which is especially noticeable on the face and buttocks, which are completely devoid of hair. The thick coat is dark gray with a slight brown tint. The monkey's tail is quite short, rarely exceeding a length of 10 cm. Japanese macaques usually choose forests, both tropical and located in mountainous areas, as their habitat. They live in groups, often reaching 100 individuals, where a strict hierarchy reigns. In the northern regions of Japan, where snow cover lasts for 3-4 months and winter air temperatures average −4-5 °C, macaques survive frosty days in natural hot springs, basking in their thermal waters. Surprisingly, in order not to freeze wet while going for food, these resourceful monkeys draw up a duty schedule: while some individuals sit in warm water, others, with dry fur, bring them food. Monkeys feed on leaves and roots of plants, sweet fruits of tropical trees, bird eggs, insects, mollusks and crustaceans, and fish.

• Sumatran orangutan ( Pongo abelii)

a species of monkey found exclusively on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Sumatran orangutan is a fairly large animal. The height of an adult male can reach one and a half meters or more with a weight of 150-165 kg. Females are slightly smaller in size - their height does not exceed 1 meter, and their weight is 50-55 kg. Monkeys have well-developed muscles, a massive body, covered with hard red-brown hair, which is quite long in the shoulder area. The forelimbs of an orangutan often reach 3 meters in span, the hind limbs are short, with wide, stable feet. Male Sumatran orangutans have an unusual face: there are clearly defined fat pads on the cheeks, and the beard and mustache give the animal a slightly funny appearance. The diet of the Sumatran orangutan is dominated mainly by plant foods - leaves, bark, nuts, sweet fruits, however, the monkey will not refuse to feast on bird eggs and chicks, grasshoppers, spiders

• Common chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes)

a species of monkey whose habitat covers the forested areas of the tropics and humid savannas of the African continent, especially its western and central parts. Mature male chimpanzees reach a height of 140-160 cm, and monkeys weigh between 65-80 kg. Females weigh 40-50 kg with a height of 120-130 cm. The body of the animals is covered with very coarse, hard fur of a dark brown hue. Near the mouth and on the tailbone the fur is partially white, but the feet, palms and muzzle of the monkey are completely devoid of it. Common chimpanzees are practically omnivorous, although the main part of their diet is plant food. These monkeys happily eat nuts and fruits, sweet potato leaves and tubers, feed on mushrooms and termites, and feast on sweet honey, bird eggs and small vertebrates. It is not uncommon for a school of chimpanzees to successfully hunt red colobus monkeys (primates from the monkey family) and even young ungulates, replenishing the lack of nutrients with meat. Chimpanzee monkeys are the only primates capable of creating the semblance of tools that facilitate the process of obtaining food: they skillfully sharpen the ends of sticks and twigs, turning them into imitation spears, use palm leaves as traps for insects, and use stones in the form of projectiles.

• Pygmy marmoset ( Cebuella pygmaea)

this is the smallest monkey in the world. Adults grow up to 10-15 cm in length and weigh from 100 to 150 g. They inhabit the forests of South America and feed mainly on tree sap.

Monkeys are the most interesting mammals, which are also the closest relatives of humans in the wild. The diversity of representatives of the P...

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Monkeys are the most interesting mammals, which are also the closest relatives of humans in the wild. The diversity of representatives of the Primates order is truly amazing. Indeed, more than 400 species of monkeys have been studied to date. In this article we will look at some types of monkeys with photos and names and get acquainted with the features of each of them.

Monkeys

Almost every person is familiar with monkeys, macaques, baboons, gorillas and orangutans. These representatives of primates are kept in almost every zoo. Enclosures and cages with them are equipped with special play complexes, and both children and many adults love to watch the fun of various primates.

Monkeys are highly developed animals. They are able to contact each other using various sounds that express their desires and emotions. Numerous attempts by people to teach monkeys to talk, unfortunately, have not been successful. However, it is worth noting that some representatives of primates show good intellectual abilities and can solve not very complex logical problems.

What species of monkeys deserve the most attention?

Rhesus monkey

The rhesus macaque is the most famous and widespread representative of the Macaque genus in nature. Rhesus dogs are not large in size or brightly colored, but they are very popular. Representatives of this species of monkeys are kept in almost all zoos. This can be explained by the fact that rhesus dogs are very friendly, are not afraid of people, and sometimes like to swim.

In their natural habitat, they live in small flocks of monkeys of different sexes and ages. Despite the general cohesion of the pack, females and males stay somewhat apart, earning authority in groups of their own sex.

Representatives of this species of apes are typical herbivores, feeding on fruits, seeds and shoots of various plants.

Hamadryad

The hamadryas is significantly larger in body size than the previous species. Thus, its height can reach one meter, and its body weight can reach 30 kilograms. The coloration of hamadryas stands out strongly among other species of monkeys. The entire body is covered with thick gray fur; nature has left only the face bare, the color of which varies from light to dark brown with a slight red tint.

Hamadryas are often frightened of people and can react extremely aggressively to them. They also persistently protect members of their flock, and especially their family, from dangerous predators.

Black Howler

Black howler monkeys are the name of a species of medium-sized monkeys with beautiful fur. Moreover, male and female howler monkeys are very different from each other. Among the most obvious differences is the color of the coat. Males are completely black, while females are reddish-yellow.

Howler monkeys got their name due to their unique ability to make loud, roaring sounds. The call of an adult male, for example, can be heard 7 km away.

Black howler monkeys gather in small flocks, consisting mainly of females, and lead a sedentary lifestyle. Their diet includes various plants, which monkeys can easily obtain if necessary. Howler monkeys also love to eat fruit.

On average, representatives of this species of monkey live 15-20 years in their natural habitat.

common chimpanzee

Common chimpanzees are familiar to anyone who has diligently studied biology at school. These monkeys have a good-natured appearance, a fairly powerful body and a face free of hair. Until recently, chimpanzees were distributed almost everywhere, but for reasons related to human industrial activity, the species' range has decreased significantly.

Chimpanzee flocks can unite more than a hundred individuals. They are able to communicate very well with each other, using not only sounds, but also gestures and certain postures. Like most monkeys, common chimpanzees eat plant foods, although they can sometimes supplement their diet with small animals and insects. Being in a desperate situation, chimpanzees are able to organize a hunt even for a large predator that poses a danger to a small number of monkeys.

For many reasons, chimpanzees are currently under threat of complete extinction, so more and more individuals are kept in various parks and reserves.

Proboscis

The appearance of the proboscis monkey can be called the most extraordinary and memorable among all monkeys. The very large nose, for which the species got its name, is a distinctive feature of males. The female has a neat, slightly elongated and raised nose. Also attracting attention is the bright color of the proboscis, which can vary from orange to dark brown.

This type of monkey, the photo of which you saw above, is certainly famous for its appearance. However, this is not their only feature. Proboscis cats love to swim and do it quite often. It is also not difficult for them to walk 2 to 5 kilometers every day in search of edible food. Proboscis monkeys are considered active and mobile animals.

Experts have different points of view regarding the purpose of the nose of monkeys. Many believe that this feature serves to attract females, but an exact answer has not yet been found.

Eastern gorilla

Eastern gorillas have a menacing and commanding appearance, their gaze filled with strength and masculinity. In addition, eastern gorillas are the largest apes among the primates living on Earth. The height of representatives of this species can reach two meters, and their weight can reach 160-200 kilograms.

The powerful body of monkeys is decorated with a large head, broad shoulders and massive arms. It is noteworthy that the fur of male eastern gorillas turns gray with age, acquiring a silver-gray tint.

Like other apes, eastern gorillas live in groups of up to 40 individuals. Despite the impressive size of gorillas, their diet does not include anything special. They feed on various parts of plants, sometimes eating mushrooms and small animals.

Eastern gorillas are protected, however, unfortunately, cases of animals being killed and illegally hunted are not uncommon.

White-handed gibbon

White-handed gibbons are miniature monkeys whose body weight does not exceed 5 kilograms. Representatives of this species are classified as great apes. Such gibbons are often kept in zoos, where they live in special structures that resemble their natural habitat - tropical forests.

Gibbons of this species are distinguished by their black complexion. They also do not have a tail. White-handed gibbons are one of the few species of monkeys that live their entire lives with one partner. Gibbons live in families, occupying a certain territory into which other relatives do not have the right to enter. They eat plant foods.

Sumatran orangutan

Sumatran orangutans, along with eastern gorillas, are fairly large mammals. The male grows up to one meter and gains weight up to 60 kilograms. Orangutans also have a powerful body and strong arms to help them move.

Male orangutans lead a solitary lifestyle, while females gather in small groups, which helps them feed their offspring. Sumatran orangutans spend most of their lives in trees, moving with the help of powerful arms and strong fingers. The basis of their diet is the fruits and seeds of plants; Sumatran orangutans also often eat insects.

So, in this article we met the brightest representatives of the Primates order. Now, if you are asked to name the species of monkeys, you can not only easily list the most prominent representatives, but also tell interesting information about them.

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According to Darwin's theory, primates are the closest relatives of humans. Our planet is home to 160 species of monkeys, from true giants - two-meter gorillas to very tiny ones: 15-centimeter pygmy marmosets. A brief overview will help you get to know the most popular monkeys in the world better.

Primates of the Old and New Worlds

Biologists divide monkeys into two large groups: Old and New World. The difference between them is in anatomical characteristics and habitat. Representatives of the Old World, belonging to the superfamily of apes, have a pronounced narrow nose, while monkeys of the New World have a flat face. The former live only on the lands of Asia and Africa, the latter are found in South and Central America.

On the left is a narrow-nosed monkey, on the right is a broad-nosed monkey

Representatives of this species have an unusual elongated head shape, which is why they received the nickname “dog-headed monkeys.” They exhibit habits that are in many ways reminiscent of human behavior. They are famous for their amazing endurance and ability to adapt.

Baboons, unlike their relatives who prefer to live in trees, feel comfortable on the ground. They climb onto rocks and tree branches only in situations of danger. This is not surprising, because male baboons are real fighters, and even such large predators as lions and leopards often lose in fights with them.

A distinctive external feature of baboons is their bare buttocks. The elastic and calloused part of the body has a bright red color due to the large accumulation of blood vessels in this area.

Baboons live in large families, which can number up to fifty individuals. Several adult males live in one family at the same time, the rest are females and cubs of different ages. The organization of the herd is based on a clear hierarchy. Males protect their relatives from predators and maintain discipline in the family, from time to time intimidating and punishing their females for attempts to flirt with males of other herds.

Representatives of this species of the monkey family can easily claim the title of the most beautiful monkeys in the world. They have a very interesting appearance, thanks to which they cannot be confused with anyone else.

Against the background of the body, covered with thick black fur, an expressive muzzle stands out, the color of which is dominated by red shades. The picture is complemented by callous folds of sky blue color located on the sides of the bridge of the nose. The frame is made of orange wool in the chest area of ​​the primate. The sideburns have the same shade. Although in some individuals the sideburns may have an unusual bright lemon color. The color of the mandrill from the back is no less impressive, since it includes blue and red shades.

With all their appearance and behavior, madrills try to demonstrate the importance of a person. To those who are not ready to admit it, primates give a “smile”, showing off terrifying fangs, the length of which reaches 6 cm.

Mandrills live in the equatorial forests of Gabon and Cameroon, preferring to settle in rocky areas. They feed mainly on plant foods, only occasionally eating lizards and rodents.

Some of the most popular monkeys called chimpanzees live in West and Central Africa. The popularity of representatives of this species has played a cruel joke on them: today they are on the verge of extinction. The decline in numbers is also facilitated by the massive deforestation of tropical forests, which are their habitat.

Chimpanzees are very intelligent and resourceful primates. They often use stones to crush nuts and twigs to fish out termites as improvised tools. Yes, they lack the physiology of speech, but chimpanzees are quite capable of learning the language of the deaf and dumb.

Many people know that chimpanzees are fruit eaters. But few people know that the diet is not limited to juicy fruits. In the absence of such, chimpanzees can snack on caught insects and even their small relatives. For example, to defeat their close relatives, the galago primates, aggressive chimpanzees use weapons in the form of twigs sharpened with their teeth.

Numerous studies confirm that chimpanzees, like no other primates, have a sense of beauty. For example, these animals enjoy admiring the setting sun.

These representatives of the monkey family can be found in the tropical forests of Japan and Southeast Asia, as well as the mountainous areas of Afghanistan. Macaques live in families of up to 100 individuals. In each family, the number of females is 3-4 times greater than the number of males. But there are also separate groups consisting only of bachelor males. They include individuals who, for some reason, cannot compete with the leaders of the families.

A distinctive feature of most macaques is the absence of a tail. Although there are individuals with both short tails and rather long tails.

These animals have an amazing ability to learn. A clear confirmation is the example of animal behavior during a study conducted by Japanese scientists. They left sweet potato tubers covered in mud for their charges. Before eating their favorite food, macaques spent the first days scraping off dried dirt with their fingers, and then learned to wash it off with water.

Representatives of a large family, numbering a dozen species, are found in impenetrable forests of Southeast Asia. Scientists believe that gibbons are the most advanced and highly developed among non-human apes, since they share a similar genetic relationship with humans. For clarity: gibbons, like people, have blood type IV and 32 teeth.

A characteristic feature of representatives of this family is black skin. The hind limbs are relatively short, the front limbs are twice the length of the body. In an upright position, primates can easily reach the earth's surface with their palms. For their awkward “arms” that stick out awkwardly in any position of the body, gibbons have received the nickname of freaks. Nature endowed them with such long forelimbs in order to literally “walk on their hands.” It is not for nothing that the movement in the treetops of these primates is somewhat reminiscent of flight.

Gibbons are active only during daylight hours. They are big fans of singing both in chorus and alone. An aria, including a variety of sounds reminiscent of whistling, wolf howls and the clicking of dolphins, begins every morning of the gibbon family. During the mating season, singing can be heard throughout the day.

Animals feed mainly on plant foods: ripe fruits, nuts, flowers. Sometimes they feast on insects, bird eggs and already hatched chicks.

Marmoset

The smallest representatives of the entire order of primates are very similar in appearance to squirrels. Agile and active animals easily climb the highest branches, holding onto the thinnest shoots with their paws, and jump over distances of over one meter. Cute creatures live in western Brazil, Ecuador and Southern Colombia. They reach a size of only 12-15 cm. The tail of tiny monkeys is slightly longer than the body - about 20 cm.

Marmosets live in large clan groups of several generations, which are always headed by one leader. The babies communicate with each other almost silently. But as soon as you scare them, they emit a heart-rending squeal in unison, which simply makes your ears pop.

Tiny creatures have to be on alert all the time. In case of danger, they try their best to scare away the enemy, while bending their body in an arc and bulging their eyes. The leader himself, in moments of danger, begins to actively move his ears and frown.

The largest primates

In the world of primates there are real giants that are amazing in size. The selection presents only the largest among them.

Gorillas can rightfully be considered among the largest predatory apes. Gigantic growth, reaching 2 meters, combined with incredible speed and crushing force, accompanied by aggression in moments of danger, poses a serious threat to many large animals in direct head-to-head contact. To scare the enemy, they beat their fists on their broad chest, while emitting a long roar.

The 200-kilogram primates live in the forests of Central Africa.

In fact, despite their menacing appearance, gorillas are famous for their peaceful nature. Being vegetarians by nature, primates eat fresh fruits and greens, tree bark and roots. To maintain their impressive mass and strength, they have to eat enormous amounts of food every day. Therefore, they spend most of their waking time searching for food or chewing it.

The gorilla family is a clear example of polygamy. The head of the family lives simultaneously with several females, each of which gives him offspring. You can determine that this is a male leader and not a female with the naked eye. The father of the family is always twice the size of the numerous mothers and has a characteristic decoration on his coat in the form of patterns of white hairs.

It is noteworthy that the male also takes an active part in raising the cubs, not considering, unlike people, that this activity is “not worthy of a real man.”

Gorillas are among the primates with a high IQ. So at Stanford University there lives a scientific gorilla named Coco, whose IQ corresponds to the norm of the average person. She understands the meaning of over 2 thousand words and knows sign language well. The gorilla knows how to clearly describe his feelings, think abstractly and even make jokes.

Orangutans, whose name translates as “forest man,” have a very distinctive appearance. They have relatively short limbs and a thick belly, due to which the body resembles a square shape. The weight of an adult orangutan can reach 1.5 centners, and the body height in a vertical position is 1.2-1.4 meters.

Representatives of this species spend almost their entire lives on tree branches, feeding on found bird eggs, fruits, bark and leaves of plants. Despite their rather large size, orangutans move along branches quite easily, making interceptions with lightning speed with long arms with tenacious fingers. They crawl to the ground only to get a good night's sleep. Orangutans do this exclusively under the cover of darkness and if, before spending the night, they did not have time to build a cozy nest in a new place.

Orangutans have well-developed facial muscles, which they successfully use when grimacing in front of their fellows. A yawning monkey is touching. But the habitual manner of behavior for humans, associated with relaxation and sleep, actually indicates an aggressive mood of the animal. This is how the primate warns that he is ready to rush into battle.

The largest representative of this species lives in tropical forests on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. The giant's weight is about 180 kg.

Unlike other primates, orangutans lead a solitary lifestyle. They are silent and inconspicuous, move imposingly, and avoid human proximity. Like all monkeys, orangutans do not like to get wet, so they go around rivers in a roundabout way, and during rains they cover the tops of their heads with torn leaves.

Howler monkeys

The inhabitants of the dense thickets of Brazilian forests are famous for their chic “baritone”.

They got their name because of their ability to emit a nightmarish scream that spreads throughout the area within a radius of 3 km. They are able to emit fear-inducing screams due to the special structure of their throat. The enlarged throat bones form a hollow sound chamber, which acts as a resonator.

By emitting a long howl, howler monkeys warn their relatives that the territory is occupied. This allows you to avoid accidental clashes. Roaring like an alarm clock going off at the same time every morning.

By nature, howler monkeys are calm animals. They are active only during daylight hours. They live in families of up to 15 individuals. The main leader in the community is one leader, who always has a deputy. To demonstrate his superiority, from time to time he attacks females from other families, thereby challenging the leaders of those communities to a duel.

Primates feed on buds and young shoots, leaves and flowers, suck sap from microcracks in trees, and sometimes like to chew the ground. By eating soil, primates thus neutralize toxins that enter the body with some plants.

It’s probably 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 traced back to the monkey. Now this scientific theory is being questioned; not all scientists believe that we, the so-called “Homo sapiens,” descended from monkeys. However, scientific debates on this matter 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 in structure to us, people.

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 “opitsa”; by the way, the Czechs still call it that way. After the Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin returned from his famous trip to India, he brought into use the Persian name “abuzina,” literally meaning “father of fornication.” Subsequently, the Persian “abuzina” was transformed into “monkey”.

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

Many monkeys lead an arboreal lifestyle, that is, they primarily 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 monkeys living on the ground have a very short tail. As for monkeys without a tail, all “humanoid” monkeys do not have it (just as humans do not have it).

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

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 comfortably fly from branch to branch.

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

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

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

Monkeys communicate with each other using a special signaling system consisting of facial expressions and sounds. The most “chatty” among them are monkeys and capuchins; they have rich facial expressions and 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 arboreal monkeys, living in trees, and terrestrial monkeys, living on the ground. Monkeys tend to be sedentary and rarely leave their territory.

Sometimes there are clashes between male monkeys, with the goal of resolving 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 lead to 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 omnivores, and their diet depends on the species and also the habitat. Tree monkeys eat everything that can be obtained from trees - leaves, various fruits, nuts, and sometimes insects.

Land monkeys eat rhizomes and shoots of plants (for example, ferns are a favorite delicacy of the gorilla), fruits (figs, mangoes, and, of course, bananas). Also, some monkeys know how to fish and happily eat mollusks, rodents, grasshoppers, beetles and other small animals.

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

Monkey Enemies

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

Types of monkeys, photos and names

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

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

Regarding the different species of monkeys, zoologists have separately distinguished the species of anthropoid apes, species 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 so named due to the fact that it produces characteristic sounds that can be heard at a distance of up to 5 km. Male black howler monkeys are covered with black fur and fully justify their name, but female black howler monkeys are not black at all, their fur is yellow-brown or olive in color. The length of this monkey is 56-67 cm, with a weight of 6.7 kg. The black howler monkey lives in South America, in countries such as Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia.

Belonging to the prehensile-tailed family, the capuchin is an arboreal monkey that lives in trees. The weight of a capuchin is 3 kg. It 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 tropical forests in Brazil and Venezuela.

It got its unusual name thanks to its gray color with shades of blue and a white stripe of fur that runs 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 River basin to Ethiopia and Angola.

Belongs to the apes of the gibbon family. It is 55-65 cm in length and weighs 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 ape in the world. The average size of a gorilla is 185 cm with a body weight of 180 kg. Although sometimes you come across larger gorillas, weighing as much as 220 kg. These huge monkeys are distinguished by their large heads, broad shoulders, and open chests. The gorilla's coat color is black; in old age, gorillas, like humans, can turn gray. Despite their menacing appearance, gorillas prefer to eat grass and plant shoots rather than hunt game. Gorillas live in the equatorial forests of Central and Western Africa.

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

He is also a frog baboon, a species of narrow-nosed monkeys that spend their entire lives exclusively on the ground. It is also a fairly 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 in both Africa and Asia in a number of countries, such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen.

The proboscis monkey, also known as kahau, belongs to the monkey family. A striking feature of this monkey is its large nose, which the monkeys even have to hold with their hands while eating. It has a yellow-brown color. The size of the proboscis monkey is 66-77 cm and weighs 15-22 kg. It also has a long tail, which is equal in size to the length of their body. 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 of 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, which are devoid of fur. Macaques living in northern Japan survive the cold winter months in special thermal springs, warming up in their hot waters (and at the same time attracting crowds of tourists from all over the world).

The Sumatran orangutan is a fairly large monkey, its size reaches one and a half meters and weighs 150-160 kg. In terms of size, the orangutan ranks second after the gorilla. It has well-developed muscles, a massive body covered with red hair, and is an excellent tree climber. The orangutan's face has fat pads 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 chimpanzees, which are the most characteristic representative of the monkey kingdom. Chimpanzees are also relatively large monkeys, their body length is 140-160 cm and their weight is 65-80 kg, that is, they are the same size as humans. 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 kind 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, chimpanzees are the most intelligent among the apes, and if Darwin’s theory is right, then they are the ones who are in the closest family relationship with us humans. Chimpanzees live mainly in Central and Western Africa.

And finally, it was impossible not to mention the 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

Monkey reproduction occurs throughout the year and each species has its own individual characteristics. Puberty in monkeys usually occurs at 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, and the males do the same.

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

Little monkeys, like real primates, are fed with their mother's breast milk, and the period of feeding also varies from one monkey to another. 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, they are nevertheless very easy to train, get used to captivity, and, under favorable conditions, feel quite comfortable in zoos. True, keeping a monkey at home is not the best idea, they are terrible mischievous and restless, and if you have already decided to have a pet monkey, then you should be prepared for it to create real chaos in your house. To prevent this, the monkey can be kept in a spacious cage.

You can feed the monkey fish, chicken or turkey, boiled eggs, vegetables, nuts, and 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 visited space.
• Spider monkeys have such a developed and strong tail that they can easily hang on a tree branch with its help alone.
• 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 in conclusion, an interesting documentary about monkeys from the Discovery Channel - “Monkeys on the Warpath”