#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,

#746: Tarsier

The Tarsier are several species of prosimian. They differ from other prosimians in that they have dry noses, slitted, like a monkeys. Tiny and nocturnal, they are characterised by their enormous eyes; his eyeball is larger than his brain. They are fixed in the socket, meaning he must rotate his head to change his field of vision. Tarsiers are also characterised by their elongated tarsier bone (hence the name). The length, plus elasticated tendons, allow these tiny primates to leap great distances. His diet is insectivorous.

I love tarsiers but always have difficulty drawing them. They just don't look real. I think I might have to try this fellow again some time.

#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.

#699: Siamang

The Siamang is the largest species of Gibbon. He can be found in Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra. Both males and females possess an inflatable throat pouch. This can be inflated to the size of the ape's head, amplifying his vocalisations and allowing him to communicate with his neighbours. Siamang live in family groups - an adult pair and their offspring. Males play a large role in raising the offspring. His diet is entirely vegetarian. Siamang are under threat from the pet industry, with mothers being killed so that their infants can be poached, but the main threat comes from deforestation.

Creature Feature #538: Orangutan

The Orangutan are two species of great ape found in Asia - specifically Indonesia and Malaysia. She leads an arboreal lifestyle. Her diet is largely vegetarian, although she has been known to eat insects and the occasional egg. She leads a relatively solitary life, unless she has a dependent youngster. Her range is within  the territory of a dominant male and she will meet with him during mating season. She engages in nest building - creating a platform by manipulating branches and manouvering leaves - on which to sleep during the night, and also to sit during the day. Orangutan are very intelligent, and are under threat from deforestation. Large swathes of their habitat has been destroyed for palm oil plantations with the adults being shot. Youngsters end up being kept by pets or sold to tourists. Luckily help is at hand with sanctuaries rehabilitating those that are rescued and awareness of their plight being spread. However, it may have come too late, with both species declining rapidly in the wild.

Creature Feature #434: Loris

Loris are nocturnal prosimians, found in the tropical rainforests and woodland of Sri Lanka, India and Southeast Asia. There are two Genera: the slow lorises and the slender lorises. Both use a slow and cautious method of locomotion, making their way through the trees and methodically stalking their prey. Generally insects are preferred, but other invertebrates, fruit and leaves may be included. Infant Lorises are left in a nest while the mother forages. To protect her infant from predation, she first licks her inner elbow - which contains a mild toxin - and then bathes the youngster in saliva, thus rendering it unpleasant to eat.

Creature Feature #322: Howler Monkey

There are fifteen species of Howler Monkey, spread across the forests of Central and South America. They are most famed, and named, for their loud howling call, which can travel up to five kilometres, and is used to define the boundaries of their territory and communication. They are widely considered to be the loudest land animal. Troops consist of up to 15 individuals, with a few adult males and the rest comprised of females. Once they become self-sufficient, juveniles leave their natal troop to join another. His sense of smell is very keen, and he is capable of scenting fruit from up to 2 kilometres away. 

Creature Feature #294: Golden Snub-nose Monkey

The Golden Snub-nose Monkey makes her home in the temperate forests of central and southwest China. She can withstand temperatures colder than most non-human primates. Her diet is primarily vegetative, with lichen being her favoured food. Since lichen commonly grows on dead trees, and dead trees are frequently logged, she is under heavy threat from deforestation. She will also eat leaves, buds, flowers and fruit. Golden Snub-nose Monkeys band together in troops. Females are more sociable than males, and will often assist one another with their infants. At night, they huddle together to share warmth.

Creature Feature #289: Guenon

The Guenon are a Genus of Old World monkey, comprised of around 26 species found across Africa. The name is French, and translates as "monkey". They are generally characterised by their long back legs, rounded heads and cheek pouches. Many species have additional facial adornments in the form of beards or moustaches and striking colouration. This fellow is a Red-tailed Guenon. Most species live in large groups, mainly comprised of females but with at least one resident male. Males form their own, smaller, groups. They forage through the treetops, following an omnivorous diet of leaves, fruit, invertebrates, seeds and even small vertebrates.

Creature Feature #278: Gorilla

The Gorilla is the largest living primate, with some silverback males weighing in at over 200 kg. The Gorilla lives in social groups, lead by an adult male, his harem of females and their offspring. He is the center of the group, making the decisions, leading his troop, mediating drama and generally being the boss. Other, younger, males help to protect the troop against predators and other dangers. His diet is mostly vegetarian, although he will on occasion snack on insects, with leaves and pith making up the majority. Generally the troop will divide the day between foraging and resting. He is considered to be one of the most intelligent of animals, with a rich emotional family life.

Creature Feature #256: Galago

The Galago, or Bushbaby, are several species of small, nocturnal primate native to the African continent. The female forms a social groups with her sisters and their babies, while the male maintains his own overlapping territory, coming into contact with the females to breed. The troop travel together, following each others' cries and marking the path with urine. At the end of the night of foraging for insects, they all gather together in a nest made from leaves or a hollow tree. Like most primates they are highly social, engaging in mutual grooming, chasing each other through the branches and mock skirmishes.

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 #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.