Monkeys in the Amazon Rainforest!

 

Clever, sharp, and curious, monkeys belong to one of the most intelligent orders in biological classification.

Monkeys

Characteristics: Small to medium-sized primates characterized by long tails, hairless faces, long arms and legs, and fur that ranges from white to gold to red to black. 

Habitat: Monkeys can be found everywhere around the world; several species live in forests while others live in grasslands and even mountains. 

Diet: Fruits, nuts, eggs, seeds, small insects, nectar, and even small frogs and birds depending on the species

Conservation: Almost half of the 200 species of monkeys are threatened and around 80 species are endangered

Smart and inquisitive, with a quick mind and agility in both the body and brain, monkeys are some of the most respected creatures in society.  Their natural charm and charisma appeal them to others in an effortless way, and they're never short of talent to show off. 

I'm a monkey. Thank goodness I was born right on the edge of 2004, or I would've been a rooster instead. And roosters are known to be cocky and small-minded. Now, you may think it's ridiculous to care about the zodiac animal one is assigned at birth, but zodiac signs have been around for many millennia, and I, along with many others, take birth years very seriously. I know there are people who plan out their baby births so that they fall on a certain year. I hope those people choose wisely and pick one of the years of the monkey. 

I'm just kidding. Mostly. This article isn't about zodiac signs, but it is going to highlight the features of the fabulous specimen that is... the monkey. 

One of the most fascinating aspects of monkeys to me is the variety that exists within the species. In both personality and appearance, the range of characteristics in monkeys is as wide as Dinizia excelsa is tall. (That was a bit of a clunky insert, but I'll definitely put the spotlight on this tree species in a later post).

Monkeys are so varied that they honestly don't seem to all be monkeys. There's the adorable blue-faced, golden-furred Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey, and then there's the Chacma Baboon and its hulking war-machine body. There's the fiery-colored Red Howler Monkey that lives in tropical climates, a habitat equally as fiery as the Red Howler itself, and then there's the Japanese Macaque that lives in snow and ice with its frost-tipped fur. 

There's the Pygmy Marmoset, weighing in at only 100 grams, and then there's the Mandrill, weighing in at...actually, let me just say that about 494 Pygmies could fit in a Mandrill. I'll let you do the math. 

Gray Langurs, Black-and-White Colobuses, and Olive Baboons. Squirrell Monkeys, Capuchins, and Golden Lion Tamarins. Uakaris, Sakis, and Orangutans. I hope I'm making the point clear enough. But wait... Did you notice that one of these "monkeys" is actually not a monkey? Bam. This paragraph just served up a dual purpose. 

What are monkeys? What makes a gorilla an ape and not a monkey? Are apes related to monkeys? Are they part of the same family? Was the Planet of the Apes franchise really about apes? Are humans monkeys or apes???

Monkeys are classified as either Old World or New World, and the main difference between monkeys and apes is that apes have no tail. Monkeys are also generally smaller and use all four limbs to move around. Apes are characterized by broad chests, appendixes, and the ability to walk on two legs.  

Both monkeys and apes are categorized in the taxonomic order of Primates. Humans are also part of this order. Obviously, humans are humans and aren't monkeys or apes, but we're related to apes more closely than we are to monkeys. Humans also aren't descended from monkeys or apes. As for the Planet of the Apes question, I have no idea. I haven't watched the movies; just see if those monkeys or apes have tails or not and find out for yourself.