Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
Encyclopedia
Geoffroy's spider monkey, Ateles geoffroyi, also known as black-handed spider monkey, is a species of spider monkey
, a type of New World monkey
, from Central America
, parts of Mexico
and possibly a small portion of Colombia
. There are at least five subspecies. Some primatologists classify the black-headed spider monkey
, A. fusciceps, found in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador
as the same species as Geoffroy's spider monkey.
It is one of the largest New World monkeys, often weighing as much as 9 kilograms. Its arms are significantly longer than its legs, and it has a prehensile tail that can support the entire weight of the monkey and that is used as an extra limb. Its hands have only a vestigial thumb, but long, strong hook-like fingers. These adaptations allow the monkey to move by swinging by its arms beneath the tree branches.
Geoffroy's spider monkey lives in fission–fusion societies that contain between 20 and 42 members. Its diet consists primarily of ripe fruit
and it requires large tracts of forest to survive. As a result of habitat loss, hunting and capture for the pet trade, it is considered to be endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Geoffroy's spider monkey belongs to the New World monkey family Atelidae
, which contains the spider monkey
s, woolly monkey
s, muriqui
s and howler monkey
s. It is a member of the subfamily Atelinae
, which includes the spider monkeys, woolly monkeys and muriquis, and of the genus Ateles, which contains all the spider monkeys. The genus name Ateles means "imperfect", a reference to the vestigial thumb. The species name geoffroyi is in honor of French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
.
There are at least five recognized subspecies
of this monkey:
Some authorities also recognize Ateles geoffroyi azuerensis and Ateles geoffroyi frontatus as valid subspecies. The black-headed spider monkey
, Ateles fusciceps is considered by authorities such as Groves
(1989) and Rylands et al. (2006) to be a separate species from Geoffroy's spider monkey. Other authorities, including Froelich (1991), Collins and Dubach (2001) and Nieves (2005), condider A. fusciceps to be synonymous with A. geoffroyi. Under this treatment, the two subspecies of the black-headed spider monkey represent additional subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey, A. g. fusciceps and A. g. rufiventris.
There is no universal agreement over the number of spider monkey species. Kellogg and Goldman (1944) based their classification on fur color, and Groves (1989) based his on fur color and geographic distribution. Kellogg and Goldman differentiated Geoffroy's spider monkey from other species by its dark black head, hands and wrists. Recent studies use Mitochondrial DNA
to help differentiate species. Such studies by Collins and Daubach (2000, 2001, 2006) indicate that Geoffroy's spider monkey is more closely related to the white-fronted spider monkey
, A. belzebuth, and the brown spider monkey
, A. hybridus, than it is to the red-faced spider monkey
, A. paniscus. According to these studies, A. paniscus branched off from the other spider monkeys approximately 3.27 million years ago and the spider monkeys branched off from the woolly monkeys and muiriquis 3.59 million years ago. Older studies by Porter, et al. indicate that the howler monkeys are believed to have branched off from the other Atelides over 10 million years ago.
Its body color varies by subspecies and population and can be buff, reddish, rust, brown or black. The hands and feet are dark or black. The face usually has a pale mask around the eyes and muzzle.
Its arms and legs are long and slim. The arms are about 25% longer than the legs. There is only a vestigial thumb, but the fingers are long and strong, making the hands hook-like. The long arms and hook-like hands allow Geoffroy's spider monkey to brachiate, that is, swing by its arms beneath the tree branches.
The prehensile tail is very strong and has a palm-like pad at the end. The tail acts as an extra limb, and is used for locomotion as well as to pick fruits and to scoop water from holes in trees. Geoffroy's spider monkey can support its weight suspended by its tail and often does so when feeding.
The clitoris
of female Geoffroy's spider monkeys is large and protrudes, looking like a penis
. This organ, called a pendulous clitoris because of the way it dangles externally, is actually larger than the male flaccid penis. As a result, females are sometimes mistaken for males by human observers. The enlarged clitoris is believed to aid males in determining sexual receptiveness, allowing them to touch the clitoris and smell their fingers to pick up chemical or olfactory cues to the female's reproductive status.
Geoffroy's spider monkey is arboreal and diurnal, and mostly inhabits the upper portion of the forest. However, it comes to the ground more frequently than other spider monkey species. It lives in fission–fusion societies large groups with a typical group size of 20 to 42 members which split into smaller subgroups to forage during the day. Subgroups typically number two to six members, and sometimes the subgroups remain separate from the main group even through the night.
Geoffroy's spider monkey forages over large tracts of forest in search of food. Home ranges for groups can exceed 900 hectares (2,223.9 acre). Monkeys can range about 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) each day. Males tend to cover a larger day range than females and dominant individuals tend to have larger day ranges. Geoffroy's spider monkey sometimes rubs a mixture of saliva and ground lime
tree Citrus aurantifolia leaves on its fur. This is believed to act as an insect repellent. In some locations, Geoffroy's spider monkey interacts with the white-headed capuchin
. These interactions can include mutual grooming.
In addition to walking or running on four limbs and climbing, Geoffroy's spider monkey uses several forms of suspensory locomotion. Brachiation
, or swinging from the arms with assistance from the prehensile tail, is the most common form of suspensory locomotion. Less common forms include swinging while suspended by the tail, and walking on four limbs under a branch. Studies have indicated that Geoffroy's spider monkey uses suspensory locomotion less frequently than other spider monkey species.
The most common method used by spider monkeys to cross between trees is "bridging", in which the monkey grasps for a branch from the new tree and pulls it towards itself so that it can climb onto it. Airborne leaps are used when necessary, and certain populations of Geoffroy's spider monkey, especially in Panama, are known to leap between trees more frequently than other populations.
When not moving, Geoffroy's spider monkey uses not only supported postures, such as sitting or standing, but also suspended postures in which it hangs from a branch. Suspended postures always include support from the tail, and sometimes the monkey hangs by its tail alone. Other times the monkey hangs by the tail and by one or more limbs simultaneously. Studies have indicated that at least some Geoffroy's spider monkey populations use suspended postures less frequently when feeding than other spider monkey species.
Geoffroy's spider monkey uses several forms of non-vocal communication. A curled tail or arched back can be used as a threat display towards other spider monkeys. A head shake is used either as a threat or an invitation to play. Shaking branches or swaying arms is used as a warning of danger to the group.
Although they do not use tools, spider monkeys, including Geoffroy's spider monkey, are regarded as intelligent primates. A study performed in 2007 concluded that spider monkeys were the third most intelligent non-human primate, behind only orangutan
s and chimpanzee
s, and ahead of gorilla
s and all other monkeys. This mental capacity may be an adaptation to spider monkeys' frugivorous
diets, which require them to be able to identify and memorize many different types of foods and their locations.
Geoffroy's spider monkey eats mostly fruit – preferably ripe and fleshy – and spends 70% to 80% of its feeding time eating fruit. Leaves make up most of the rest of its diet. Young leaves are especially important to provide protein that can be lacking in fruit. Other elements of its diet include flowers, bark, insects, honey, seeds and buds.
In addition to providing much of the monkey's nutritional needs, fruit and leaves provide much of its water requirements. Like other spider monkeys, Geoffroy's spider monkey drinks water from tree holes and bromeliads in trees but unlike other spider monkeys, it also drinks from terrestrial water sources.
s and pumas – appear to be the only significant adult spider monkey predators, other than humans. Eagle
s and large snake
s are also potential predators. However, predation of Geoffroy's spider monkey has not been observed by researchers.
, all males in the group were observed mating at least once over a one year period. However, it appears that dominant males mate more often than low ranking males. It is unknown whether male dominance is correlated with greater success in fathering offspring.
Geoffroy's spider monkeys mate in a sitting position, both facing the same direction, with the male seated behind the female and his arms wrapped around her chest and legs wrapped around her waist. This embrace can last between 8 and 22 minutes. Prior to mating, the male and female both separate themselves from the rest of the group, so that they are alone except for any of the female's juvenile offspring.
The gestational period
is about 7.5 months, after which a single young is typically born, although twins sometimes occur. The young are dark in color until they begin taking on the adult coloration at the age of five months. They are carried on their mothers' chest for the first month and a half to two months, at which point they can ride on her back. They nurse until they are about one year old, but begin eating solid foods and moving independently at about three months. Even when they move independently, they cannot always cross gaps in the canopy that adults can manage. To help them, an adult will stretch across the gap, forming a bridge that the young can cross.
Females become sexually mature at about four years; males at about five years. Upon reaching sexual maturity, females leave their natal group but males do not. As a result, the males in the groups are typically related while the females are not. This may help explain why male Geoffroy's spider monkeys form strong bonds. Maximum life span in the wild is unknown. In captivity, Geoffroy's spider monkey can live at least 33 years old.
of Geoffroy's spider monkey extends over much of Central America, encompassing Panama
, Costa Rica
, Nicaragua
, Guatemala
, Honduras
, El Salvador
, Belize
and the south and much of the eastern portion of Mexico
. Observations by local people indicate that the southernmost subspecies, the hooded spider monkey
, Ateles geoffroyi grisescens, may also occur in the portion of Colombia
near the Panama border. In western Colombia and northeast Panama it is replaced by the black-headed spider monkey
, A. fusciceps, which is considered by some primatologists to be a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey.
Geoffroy's spider monkey lives in various types of forest including rainforest
s, semi-deciduous forests and mangrove
forests. Higher densities of Geoffroy's spider monkeys are generally found in areas containing evergreen forest.
One area where Geoffroy's spider monkey was eliminated was Barro Colorado Island
in Panama
. Hunting had eliminated the native population there by 1912. However, between 1959 and 1966 an effort was made to reintroduce the species to Barro Colorado. At least 18 monkeys were reintroduced but only five, one male and four females, survived the reintroduction. This small group has thrived, and the island population had grown to 28 monkeys by 2003.
Spider monkey
Spider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil...
, a type of New World monkey
New World monkey
New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Platyrrhini parvorder and the Ceboidea superfamily, which are essentially synonymous since...
, from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, parts of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and possibly a small portion of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. There are at least five subspecies. Some primatologists classify the black-headed spider monkey
Black-headed Spider Monkey
The Black-headed spider monkey, Ateles fusciceps, is a species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central and South America. It is found in Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama. Although primatologists such as Colin Groves follow Kellogg and Goldman in treating A...
, A. fusciceps, found in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
as the same species as Geoffroy's spider monkey.
It is one of the largest New World monkeys, often weighing as much as 9 kilograms. Its arms are significantly longer than its legs, and it has a prehensile tail that can support the entire weight of the monkey and that is used as an extra limb. Its hands have only a vestigial thumb, but long, strong hook-like fingers. These adaptations allow the monkey to move by swinging by its arms beneath the tree branches.
Geoffroy's spider monkey lives in fission–fusion societies that contain between 20 and 42 members. Its diet consists primarily of ripe fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and it requires large tracts of forest to survive. As a result of habitat loss, hunting and capture for the pet trade, it is considered to be endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Taxonomy
Atelidae
Atelidae is one of the five families of New World monkeys now recognised. It was formerly included in the family Cebidae. Atelids are generally larger monkeys; the family includes the howler, spider, woolly and woolly spider monkeys...
, which contains the spider monkey
Spider monkey
Spider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil...
s, woolly monkey
Woolly monkey
The woolly monkeys are the genus Lagothrix of New World monkeys, usually placed in the family Atelidae.There are four species of woolly monkey. All originate from the rainforests of South America...
s, muriqui
Muriqui
The muriquis, also known as woolly spider monkeys, are the monkeys of the genus Brachyteles. They are closely related to both the spider monkeys and the woolly monkeys. There are two species, the southern and northern muriqui...
s and howler monkey
Howler monkey
Howler monkeys are among the largest of the New World monkeys. Fifteen species are currently recognised. Previously classified in the family Cebidae, they are now placed in the family Atelidae. These monkeys are native to South and Central American forests...
s. It is a member of the subfamily Atelinae
Atelinae
Atelinae is a subfamily of New World monkeys in the family Atelidae, and includes the various spider and woolly monkeys. The primary distinguishing feature of the atelines is their long prehensile tail which can support their entire body weight....
, which includes the spider monkeys, woolly monkeys and muriquis, and of the genus Ateles, which contains all the spider monkeys. The genus name Ateles means "imperfect", a reference to the vestigial thumb. The species name geoffroyi is in honor of French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was a French naturalist who established the principle of "unity of composition". He was a colleague of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and expanded and defended Lamarck's evolutionary theories...
.
There are at least five recognized subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of this monkey:
- Nicaraguan spider monkey, Ateles geoffroyi geoffroyi
- Hooded spider monkeyHooded Spider MonkeyThe hooded spider monkey , is a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central America, native to Panama. It also might be found in a small portion of Colombia adjacent to Panama. In western Colombia and northeast Panama it is replaced by the Black-headed spider...
, Ateles geoffroyi grisescens - Ornate spider monkeyOrnate Spider MonkeyThe ornate spider monkey , is a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central America, native to Costa Rica and Panama...
, Ateles geoffroyi ornatus - Mexican spider monkeyMexican Spider MonkeyThe Mexican spider monkey , is a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Mexico and Central America, native to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador....
, Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus - Yucatan spider monkeyYucatan Spider MonkeyThe Yucatan spider monkey , is a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. It has paler fur than the Mexican Spider Monkey....
, Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis
Some authorities also recognize Ateles geoffroyi azuerensis and Ateles geoffroyi frontatus as valid subspecies. The black-headed spider monkey
Black-headed Spider Monkey
The Black-headed spider monkey, Ateles fusciceps, is a species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central and South America. It is found in Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama. Although primatologists such as Colin Groves follow Kellogg and Goldman in treating A...
, Ateles fusciceps is considered by authorities such as Groves
Colin Groves
Colin Peter Groves is Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.Born in England on 24 June 1942, Colin Groves completed a Bachelor of Science at University College London in 1963, and a Doctor of Philosophy at the Royal Free Hospital School of...
(1989) and Rylands et al. (2006) to be a separate species from Geoffroy's spider monkey. Other authorities, including Froelich (1991), Collins and Dubach (2001) and Nieves (2005), condider A. fusciceps to be synonymous with A. geoffroyi. Under this treatment, the two subspecies of the black-headed spider monkey represent additional subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey, A. g. fusciceps and A. g. rufiventris.
There is no universal agreement over the number of spider monkey species. Kellogg and Goldman (1944) based their classification on fur color, and Groves (1989) based his on fur color and geographic distribution. Kellogg and Goldman differentiated Geoffroy's spider monkey from other species by its dark black head, hands and wrists. Recent studies use Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
to help differentiate species. Such studies by Collins and Daubach (2000, 2001, 2006) indicate that Geoffroy's spider monkey is more closely related to the white-fronted spider monkey
White-fronted Spider Monkey
The white-fronted spider monkey , also known as the long-haired or white-bellied spider monkey, is an endangered species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey. It is found in the north-western Amazon in Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil, ranging as far south as the lower Ucayali...
, A. belzebuth, and the brown spider monkey
Brown Spider Monkey
The brown spider monkey or variegated spider monkey is a critically endangered species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from northern Colombia and north-western Venezuela. Its taxonomic history has been confusing, and in the past it has been treated as a subspecies of either the...
, A. hybridus, than it is to the red-faced spider monkey
Red-faced Spider Monkey
The red-faced spider monkey, Guiana spider monkey, or red-faced black spider monkey, Ateles paniscus, is a species of spider monkey found in the rain forests in northern South America....
, A. paniscus. According to these studies, A. paniscus branched off from the other spider monkeys approximately 3.27 million years ago and the spider monkeys branched off from the woolly monkeys and muiriquis 3.59 million years ago. Older studies by Porter, et al. indicate that the howler monkeys are believed to have branched off from the other Atelides over 10 million years ago.
Physical description
Geoffroy's spider monkey is one of the largest New World monkeys. Its length measures between 30 and 63 cm (11.8 and 24.8 in) and it weighs between 6 and 9 kg (13.2 and 19.8 lb). The tail is longer than the body at between 63 and 85 cm (24.8 and 33.5 in). Males are slightly larger than females.Its body color varies by subspecies and population and can be buff, reddish, rust, brown or black. The hands and feet are dark or black. The face usually has a pale mask around the eyes and muzzle.
Its arms and legs are long and slim. The arms are about 25% longer than the legs. There is only a vestigial thumb, but the fingers are long and strong, making the hands hook-like. The long arms and hook-like hands allow Geoffroy's spider monkey to brachiate, that is, swing by its arms beneath the tree branches.
The prehensile tail is very strong and has a palm-like pad at the end. The tail acts as an extra limb, and is used for locomotion as well as to pick fruits and to scoop water from holes in trees. Geoffroy's spider monkey can support its weight suspended by its tail and often does so when feeding.
The clitoris
Clitoris
The clitoris is a sexual organ that is present only in female mammals. In humans, the visible button-like portion is located near the anterior junction of the labia minora, above the opening of the urethra and vagina. Unlike the penis, which is homologous to the clitoris, the clitoris does not...
of female Geoffroy's spider monkeys is large and protrudes, looking like a penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
. This organ, called a pendulous clitoris because of the way it dangles externally, is actually larger than the male flaccid penis. As a result, females are sometimes mistaken for males by human observers. The enlarged clitoris is believed to aid males in determining sexual receptiveness, allowing them to touch the clitoris and smell their fingers to pick up chemical or olfactory cues to the female's reproductive status.
Behavior
Geoffroy's spider monkey forages over large tracts of forest in search of food. Home ranges for groups can exceed 900 hectares (2,223.9 acre). Monkeys can range about 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) each day. Males tend to cover a larger day range than females and dominant individuals tend to have larger day ranges. Geoffroy's spider monkey sometimes rubs a mixture of saliva and ground lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
tree Citrus aurantifolia leaves on its fur. This is believed to act as an insect repellent. In some locations, Geoffroy's spider monkey interacts with the white-headed capuchin
White-headed Capuchin
The white-headed capuchin , also known as the white-faced capuchin or white-throated capuchin, is a medium-sized New World monkey of the family Cebidae, subfamily Cebinae...
. These interactions can include mutual grooming.
In addition to walking or running on four limbs and climbing, Geoffroy's spider monkey uses several forms of suspensory locomotion. Brachiation
Brachiation
Brachiation is a form of arboreal locomotion in which primates swing from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms.- Brachiators :...
, or swinging from the arms with assistance from the prehensile tail, is the most common form of suspensory locomotion. Less common forms include swinging while suspended by the tail, and walking on four limbs under a branch. Studies have indicated that Geoffroy's spider monkey uses suspensory locomotion less frequently than other spider monkey species.
The most common method used by spider monkeys to cross between trees is "bridging", in which the monkey grasps for a branch from the new tree and pulls it towards itself so that it can climb onto it. Airborne leaps are used when necessary, and certain populations of Geoffroy's spider monkey, especially in Panama, are known to leap between trees more frequently than other populations.
When not moving, Geoffroy's spider monkey uses not only supported postures, such as sitting or standing, but also suspended postures in which it hangs from a branch. Suspended postures always include support from the tail, and sometimes the monkey hangs by its tail alone. Other times the monkey hangs by the tail and by one or more limbs simultaneously. Studies have indicated that at least some Geoffroy's spider monkey populations use suspended postures less frequently when feeding than other spider monkey species.
Communication and intelligence
Sounds produced by Geoffroy's spider monkey include barks, whinnies, squeals, squeaks and screams. Barks are typically alarm calls. Whinnies and screams can be used as distress calls, and are also made at dawn and at dusk. Each monkey makes a unique sound, which may allow monkeys to recognize each other through vocal communication alone. Several researchers have investigated the use of whinnies, which consist of between two and twelve quick increases and decreases in pitch, in more detail. This research has indicated that one additional purpose of whinnies is to call other group members to a food source. Other purposes of whinnies suggested by this research have included maintaining vocal contact with other group members while traveling and distinguishing between group members and members of other groups.Geoffroy's spider monkey uses several forms of non-vocal communication. A curled tail or arched back can be used as a threat display towards other spider monkeys. A head shake is used either as a threat or an invitation to play. Shaking branches or swaying arms is used as a warning of danger to the group.
Although they do not use tools, spider monkeys, including Geoffroy's spider monkey, are regarded as intelligent primates. A study performed in 2007 concluded that spider monkeys were the third most intelligent non-human primate, behind only orangutan
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
s and chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s, and ahead of gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s and all other monkeys. This mental capacity may be an adaptation to spider monkeys' frugivorous
Frugivore
A frugivore is a fruit eater. It can be any type of herbivore or omnivore where fruit is a preferred food type. Because approximately 20% of all mammalian herbivores also eat fruit, frugivory is considered to be common among mammals. Since frugivores eat a lot of fruit they are highly dependent...
diets, which require them to be able to identify and memorize many different types of foods and their locations.
Diet
In addition to providing much of the monkey's nutritional needs, fruit and leaves provide much of its water requirements. Like other spider monkeys, Geoffroy's spider monkey drinks water from tree holes and bromeliads in trees but unlike other spider monkeys, it also drinks from terrestrial water sources.
Predators
Large cats – jaguarJaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
s and pumas – appear to be the only significant adult spider monkey predators, other than humans. Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s and large snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s are also potential predators. However, predation of Geoffroy's spider monkey has not been observed by researchers.
Reproduction
Female Geoffroy's spider monkeys bear young every two to four years. Among males, mating is not restricted to only dominant individuals. In one study at Barro Colorado IslandBarro Colorado Island
Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
, all males in the group were observed mating at least once over a one year period. However, it appears that dominant males mate more often than low ranking males. It is unknown whether male dominance is correlated with greater success in fathering offspring.
Geoffroy's spider monkeys mate in a sitting position, both facing the same direction, with the male seated behind the female and his arms wrapped around her chest and legs wrapped around her waist. This embrace can last between 8 and 22 minutes. Prior to mating, the male and female both separate themselves from the rest of the group, so that they are alone except for any of the female's juvenile offspring.
The gestational period
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
is about 7.5 months, after which a single young is typically born, although twins sometimes occur. The young are dark in color until they begin taking on the adult coloration at the age of five months. They are carried on their mothers' chest for the first month and a half to two months, at which point they can ride on her back. They nurse until they are about one year old, but begin eating solid foods and moving independently at about three months. Even when they move independently, they cannot always cross gaps in the canopy that adults can manage. To help them, an adult will stretch across the gap, forming a bridge that the young can cross.
Females become sexually mature at about four years; males at about five years. Upon reaching sexual maturity, females leave their natal group but males do not. As a result, the males in the groups are typically related while the females are not. This may help explain why male Geoffroy's spider monkeys form strong bonds. Maximum life span in the wild is unknown. In captivity, Geoffroy's spider monkey can live at least 33 years old.
Distribution and habitat
The rangeRange (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
of Geoffroy's spider monkey extends over much of Central America, encompassing Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and the south and much of the eastern portion of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Observations by local people indicate that the southernmost subspecies, the hooded spider monkey
Hooded Spider Monkey
The hooded spider monkey , is a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central America, native to Panama. It also might be found in a small portion of Colombia adjacent to Panama. In western Colombia and northeast Panama it is replaced by the Black-headed spider...
, Ateles geoffroyi grisescens, may also occur in the portion of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
near the Panama border. In western Colombia and northeast Panama it is replaced by the black-headed spider monkey
Black-headed Spider Monkey
The Black-headed spider monkey, Ateles fusciceps, is a species of spider monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central and South America. It is found in Colombia, Nicaragua and Panama. Although primatologists such as Colin Groves follow Kellogg and Goldman in treating A...
, A. fusciceps, which is considered by some primatologists to be a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey.
Geoffroy's spider monkey lives in various types of forest including rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s, semi-deciduous forests and mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forests. Higher densities of Geoffroy's spider monkeys are generally found in areas containing evergreen forest.
Conservation status
Geoffroy's spider monkey is listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN, mostly due to habitat loss. It requires large tracts of primary forest to survive, and so it is vulnerable to deforestation and it is sometimes hunted by humans and captured for the pet trade. Because of its low reproductive turnover, it cannot quickly replenish its numbers when impacted by these events. As a result, Geoffroy's spider monkey has disappeared from some areas where it was once common. Three subspecies are critically endangered.One area where Geoffroy's spider monkey was eliminated was Barro Colorado Island
Barro Colorado Island
Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. Hunting had eliminated the native population there by 1912. However, between 1959 and 1966 an effort was made to reintroduce the species to Barro Colorado. At least 18 monkeys were reintroduced but only five, one male and four females, survived the reintroduction. This small group has thrived, and the island population had grown to 28 monkeys by 2003.