Monkeys are smart and inquisitive animals that are well-adapted for living in forests. They have long, flexible limbs and are highly dexterous for climbing and gripping onto branches.
They are also smart because they have large brains that allow them to process and solve complex problems. However, they do not reach the cognitive levels of great apes like gorillas and chimpanzees.
Most monkeys live in groups, with several related females and their offspring or young. They use facial expressions, body movements and a variety of noises to communicate with each other.
Their warning calls can sound like barks, screams, grunts, squeaks, hoots, wails or moans. They usually stay together and defend their territory from other monkeys.
Monkeys are omnivores, eating everything from fruits to seeds to leaves and insects. They often carry food in their cheek pouches.
Some types of monkeys feed on grasses or eat meat from antelope and rabbits. Others, such as colobus monkeys and langurs, have chambered stomachs that help them digest leaves and fruit.
These animals move from tree to tree searching for plants and food in their rainforest home range. They spread seed to help their forest thrive.
They often cross oceans to travel between continents and islands. This was possible when land masses were closer to each other than today.
Most species of monkeys are endangered or threatened with extinction. The only way to save them is to protect their natural habitats.