The Wooly Spider Monkey, also called the Charcoal monkey, has many unique qualities. It's one of the largest South American primates. Males are around 33 pounds and females are 26 pounds. They are around 3 feet tall; their tail is about as long as their bodies. Their coloration is from a gold-ish to a grayish color.

These primates are found scattered throughout the forest's of Brazil. They live in canopies in the evergreen forests. They rarely leave their canopy, they only time they leave is for food and if there is a gap. They adapt well to their habitat because of their longs arms and thumbs, that help them move from branch to branch.

Wooly Spider Monkeys are critically endangered. One of the main reasons is that humans are chopping down the forests they live in. So far 95% of their forest has been destroyed. Another reason is humans hunting them down for food.

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The Charcoal Monkey ''hunts'' for their food. They stake out at a bush and wait there until the fruit is ripe. While the fruit is ripening they eat the leaves off the bush. They don't have any competition for food. Only other troops, and if there is they will chase them away. Their predators are Jaguars, Ocelots, Harpy Eagles, and humans.

There are so many fascinating facts about the Charcoal Monkey. But what stood out to me was that when they move to a different branch they go in a line to make sure the branch is safe to go across. And females leave their troop when they reach adulthood; on the other hand males stay with their birth troop all their lives. All in all I think these primates are worth learning about.

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Author: Lauren B.
Published: 01/2013

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Sources:
Internet credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/charcoal_monkey http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/imformation/brachyteles_arachnoides.html Bladh A. 2003 '' brachyteles, Arachnoides'' animal diversity web

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Picture Credits:
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/fs/sheet/images/339med.jpg