Facts About Monkeys

Monkeys are acrobatic creatures that can do things that few humans can, including leap from tree to tree and swing on the type of bars that children use at playgrounds. They can also use tools to get to hard-to-acquire foods, such as termites or ants that are in trees, and can even crush shells to extract fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates.

Like many other mammals, monkeys are omnivorous and can eat both plants and animals. However, most species tend to lean heavily toward eating plant matter for the majority of their calories, with a few exceptions such as chimpanzees and gorillas that are more tilted towards animal meat.

Primates have a variety of ways to communicate with each other, from grinning to yawning to jerking their heads and shoulders forward. Using these gestures helps monkeys express anger, fear, sadness, and surprise, as well as other emotions. In addition, many species have special facial markings, such as cotton-topped tamarins raising their eyebrows in a smile or striking a pose that looks like a clenched fist.

In the wild, monkeys live in habitats from desert-like savannas to snowy mountains. They have thick fur and other physical adaptations to keep warm in cold climates. And some species, such as Japanese macaques living in the northern part of their range, are able to bathe in human-made hot springs to keep warm.

Unfortunately, monkeys are not the right pets for most people. They require full commitment and care throughout their lives, which is not possible for most people. They are also very expensive to raise and often have short lifespans. The desire for pet monkeys can also contribute to the illegal wildlife trade and species extinctions in the wild.