Facts About Monkeys

Monkeys are highly intelligent animals with a great variety of behaviors. Most monkeys are diurnal, meaning that they’re active mainly during the day. They are primarily tree-dwelling (arboreal) although some species live entirely on the ground, such as baboons. Some, like masked capuchins and mandrills, have bare areas on their faces and buttocks.

Their long tails help them balance and to hang from trees. They use them to groom and carry food, too. Some types can even jump with their tails, using it to create a sort of swing for them.

Many monkeys are very social and eat, sleep, and play together in groups called troops. Some species even form families, with several females and their offspring living together in one troop.

Monkey babies spend much of their waking hours playing and learning the skills they’ll need for adult life. Marmosets and tamarins are unusual among primates in that they let the fathers do almost all of the childcare duties, leaving Mom to nurse and supervise. This allows the males to get a break, and it also helps ensure that the infants are healthy and strong enough for survival.

Most monkeys have opposable thumbs, which allow them to grasp things with a great deal of precision. Some monkeys can also use their tails for support or to hang from the ground, making them very agile. Ayla, a capuchin monkey, even attends Monkey College, where she’s trained to assist disabled people with tasks they can’t do themselves. But not all monkeys are so lucky, and they are often hunted for their meat, skin, and hair or captured for the pet trade. Some are also killed because they’re considered a nuisance or pest, attacking crops that humans are trying to grow.