Spider Monkey
The Spider Monkey
6/18/2021
The spider monkey is a species of primate that reside in the rainforests of Central and South America. They get their name from their iconic, lanky limbs and tail, resembling a spider with their long legs. When standing on their hind legs they can stand over two feet tall and weigh in around 20 pounds on average. There is estimated to only be a few hundred spider monkeys left in the wild, with around 300 being kept in captivity around the world. In 2008 they were listed as endangered, and now all 7 species of spider monkey ranges from vulnerable to critically endangered. Like many other rainforest dwellers, deforestation, hunting and illegal pet trade are the main causes of the endangerment of the spider monkey.
Spider monkeys play a very crucial role in their ecosystem. Being primary fruit eaters, these long legged primates are one of the main seed spreaders of Central and South America. Their digestive track actually helps to soften the outside of seeds, making it more likely to grow another plant. The alpha female spider monkey is the one that determines the path to look for food, in groups of up to 100. Spider monkeys can get aggravated when too close to another spider monkey while eating though, so they tend to spread out in a large tree, or even other trees while they wait for their turn to eat!
Current conservation efforts include protecting their habitats from logging and hunting, but poachers find these protects areas even easier to hunt illegally. Being very slow reproducers at once every 2-5 years, it will be a slow and difficult recovery for the species.
Here's how you can help!
- Donate to the WorldWildLife foundation to help protect their home
- Raise awareness! Everyone has a platform to speak up on social media
- Back up organizations by signing petitions to stop logging of their home
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