#798: Vervet Monkey

The Vervet Monkey occurs naturally along the eastern coast of Africa. Here he inhabits savannah, riverine woodland, coastal forest and  up into the mountains. He has also been introduced to parts of America, including Florida.His diet includes a lot of fruit, but he also enjoys flowers, leaves, seeds, insects and bird's eggs. In some areas, where his range encompasses that of people, he is considered a pest. Troops range in size from ten to 70 individuals with males leaving to join other troops when they reach sexual maturity,

#775: Uakari

New Year, New U!
First U, in fact.

The Uakari are four species of New World Monkeys, of which the most well known is the Bald Uakari. He is, as you may have noticed, characterised by his completely bald head. The skin lacks pigment, and the redness is caused by the multiple capillaries running under the facial tissue. The redder the skin, the healthier the animal and the more attractive he is to potential mates. The species is susceptible to malaria, and ailing individuals are noticeably paler. His diet is almost exclusively vegetarian, with seeds making up the majority, although the occasional invertebrate is eaten. Troops are large - up to 100 individuals - with males leaving their natal group.

#761: Titi

Titi are New World Monkeys, notable for their tails, which are longer than their body. There are numerous species known, varying in colouration and size, but all sharing similar body shapes. Titi live in family groups of up to seven individuals. They maintain and defend their territory, shouting and chasing off intruders.  Partnerships are monogamous, and pairs will often sit or sleep with their tails entwined. The father takes charge of their sole offspring, bringing it to the mother for nursing.

#740: Tamarin

The Tamarin monkeys are tiny New World monkeys, occupying different patches of Amazon rainforest. This fellow is one of the Lion Tamarins, the Golden. The other Genus lack the manes that give this genus their name. The Golden Lion is endangered due to deforestation.

#716: Spider Monkey

The Spider Monkey is a New World monkey found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. It is his long limbs and tail that give him his common name. His tail is prehensile, used as an additional limb to help navigate his arboreal home. Spider Monkeys  favour a fruit diet, but also eat insects, leaves and other vegetative matter. The thumb on his hands is reduced to little more than a nub, but his fingers are long and hook-like. This allows him to move swiftly through the trees. Spider Monkeys live in troops; females often leave their birth-troop when they reach sexual maturity, but males stay.

#652: Rhesus Monkey

The Rhesus Monkey is amongst the best known of the macaque species. She is common throughout India, Pakistan and neighbouring countries, including urban areas. Troops can number from 20 to 200 individuals, both male and female. Diet is mostly herbivorous, consisting of fruits, seeds, roots, bark and buds, with the occasional insect eaten. Intelligent and social, Rhesus have been heavily studied and display complex cognitive abilities - including self awareness, making judgements and even self agency.

Documented footage in a train station shows one Rhesus Monkey alledgedly reviving another that had been stunned by electicity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYZnrgDrgOQ

#633: Pygmy Marmoset

The Pygmy Marmoset is the smallest monkey in the world, weighing in at just over 100 grams and measuring up to 152 mm (not including her tail). She can be found in the western Amazon baisin, living in troops of up to nine individuals. These mostly consist of family members. Her teeth are adapted for gnawing into vines and trees to extract the gum, which is a main food source. She also eats insects, fruit and nectar. Like most marmoset species, only the dominant female produces offspring - usually twins - which are cared for and taught by the whole family.

The Pygmy Marmoset is currently considered "least concern" on the IUCN database, but she is under threat from deforestation and also poaching for the pet trade. Her small size and generally docile manner make her seem attractive as a pet. One must remember, however, that "exotic animals" are not domesticated and require specialist care and attention. They do not make good pets.

Creature Feature #573: Patas Monkey

The Patas Monkey leads a terrestrial existence in the semi-arid regions of west and east Africa. He is the fastest running of any monkey species, reaching speeds of up to 55 km/hr. Troops contain up to 60 individuals, mostly female with one adult male. The males tend to gather into smaller bands or lead a solitary existence. When the females come into oestrus, however, these male bands will invade with the sole aim of mating with the females. One remains afterwards with the troop, whilst the others return to bachelorhood.

Patas Monkeys avoid dense woodland, favouring open savannah and arid regions. His diet consists of insects, tubers, gum and seeds.

Creature Feature #446: Mandrill

The Mandrill is a large Old World monkey, related to baboons, macaque and drill. He can be found in forests, often those bordering savannah. The male is most dramatically coloured, with his vivid facial mask and equally colourful rear end. Mandrill groups are known as "hordes" and contain hundreds of females and their offspring. Males are solitary, only entering the horde during the female's 3-month oestrus cycle.  Only the brightly-coloured, dominant males are fertile, but subordinate males can rise through the ranks and develop the vivid colouration that advertises his virility.

Creature Feature #441: Macaque

The Macaques are a Genus of Old World monkeys, naturally occuring in North Africa and across the Middle East to Asia, with one species also found in southern Europe. They are characterised by their omnivorous diets, semi-terrestrial lifestyle and vestigal tail. This is a Japanese Macaque. They is the most northern-living non-human primate species and live in a very cold climate. To keep warm, they often gather around hot springs, immersing themselves in the water. They have been known to engage in snowball fights for fun. One individual was observed washing the sand from her food - a behaviour that the rest of her troop followed and has now been passed on through the generations.

Creature Feature #407: Langur (or rather, Lutung)

Langur, also known as leaf monkeys or lutungs, are a subfamily of monkeys spread across Asia. In habit they are diurnal, folivores (dine on leaves) and gregarious. Whilst some species - like the grey langur - are common and interact readily with humans, others such as the golden-headed langur or this Francois' Langur are endangered. As their diet is high in fibrous materials, but low in energy, Langur (or Lutung) have a multi-chambered stomach - more akin to that found in ungulates. Family groups mostly consist of a male and his harem of females and their offspring. If a new male takes over the harem, he will likely kill any infants.

You can tell this fellow is actually in the Lutung genera, on account of his very fine quiff.

And, here's his ZooTrophy card:

Creature Feature #213: Emperor Tamarin

The Emperor Tamarin owes his common name to German Emperor, Wilhelm II, due to his rather proud moustache. He is found in montane forests, high in the treetops, feeding on fruit and flowers, as well as sap and the occasional small animal, such as an insect or frog. His extended family group is called a "troop" and is lead by the breeding female and a dominant male (not necessarily the father of her offspring). Only one female breeds, and she will mate with multiple males, who all assist in raising the infants.

Creature Feature #171: Douroucouli

The Douroucouli, or Owl Monkey, are a Genus of nocturnal monkeys inhabiting the forests of South America. His eyes are large and round, giving him excellent night vision and he has good spatial awareness, making him adept at catching insects, although he also enjoys a diet of fruit, flowers and leaves. Unusual among New World monkeys, he has no colour vision. He establishes a monogamous bond with his mate, and they produce one offspring a year. The mother carries the infant for the first few weeks of its life, and then it is put into the care of its father. Groups consist of the pair and their immature offspring, with maturity reached at between 2 and 5 years of age, depending on species.

Creature Feature #170: Douc

The Douc are a Genus of striking langur monkeys found in Southeast Asia. This fellow is the Red-Shanked species and he is occasionally referred to as the "costumed ape" (although he is not an ape at all). Troops consist of between 4 and 15 members, with up to 50 recorded, and with twice as many females as males. An aerial specialist - the males lead the troops through the treetops, making soaring leaps of up to 6 meters. He is a very expressive monkey, with individuals communicating emotion through facial expression. Gentle and peaceful, the troop gather in the branches to chew on leaves and will share tidbits with one another.

Creature Feature #129: Cottontop Tamarin

The diminutive Cottontop is a New World monkey now restricted to a tiny area in northwest Colombia. He is critically endangered due to deforestation - having lost three-quaters of his original habitat. Troops consist of 2-9 individuals, of which only the dominant pair will produce offspring. Twins are frequent, and the whole troop takes care of the baby-sitting. The dominant female releases a pheromone  to suppress the sexual behaviour of subordinate females. Despite the altruism shown in the shared care, these monkeys have been shown to exhbiti spiteful behaviour, with individuals being targeted and forced from the troop.

Creature Feature #119: Colobus Monkey

There are a number of species of Colobus Monkey divided into two Genus. The black and white are the most well known, but the Red (Piliocolobus) species are the most colourful, as well as being the most endangered: with three of the nine species classified as "critically endangered". These "Old World" monkeys live in troops, which can have up to 80 members, with twice as many females as males and a strong social hierarchy. Adolescent monkeys often leave their natal troop to join other groups, but other groups can be suspcious and violent, thus the "teenagers" will occasionally join up with a neighbouring green monkey troop and "spy" on the group they wish to join. Aside from the usual threats of deforestation and being hunted for bush-meat, Red Colobus are also predated by chimpanzees. Studies have shown that chimpanzees are responsible for 6-12% of female/infant deaths in some areas.