Monkeys are highly social animals and almost all live in troops of females with young and either a single male (as in hamadryas baboons, mandrills, most guenons and langurs) or several males (as in savannah baboons and macaques). They nurse their infants and may have a menstrual cycle.
They are active foragers that travel in their habitats, spending much of their time searching for food. They eat fruits, nuts, seeds, roots and leaves. They also include insects and arthropods in their diet. In periods of scarcity, monkeys focus on these foods and forgo other food sources in order to survive.
Like people, monkeys experience a variety of emotions within their groups including love, anger, fear and sadness. They may also laugh, cry or mourn the loss of loved ones. In captivity, monkeys are very playful and use their bodies to explore the world around them. They have forward facing eyes, flat noses and hands that can grasp objects with precision. They can even use tools. They have been known to fold leaves and sticks to create cups for drinking water.
Some species of monkeys have a diet that is 90% plant. Others, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, are more balanced, with plants accounting for about 6% of their calories and meat or invertebrates for 4%.
Monkeys require full commitment throughout their entire lives and are typically not suited to life in human homes. They can be very destructive and will chew cords, leashes, cleaning products, windows and other items that they see as part of their environment. They are curious creatures and get into everything, so keeping them in a small cage can be dangerous for both the monkey and humans. Purchasing a monkey fuels the exotic pet trade, encouraging primate breeders to produce these beautiful animals for sale and poachers to kill adult primates in order to sell their babies.