Facts About Monkeys

monkeys

Monkeys are any member of two groupings, New World monkeys and Old World monkeys (or simians). There are about 250 species. They’re primarily herbivores, but some can hunt and eat meat too. They’re also frugivores, meaning they like fruit, nuts and seeds.

Most monkeys live in warm, humid rainforests in Central and South America and Asia. Other monkeys, like the colobus monkey of Africa and mandrills of West Central Africa, are leaf-eaters. Their guts have evolved to include a fermenting chamber that makes it easier for them to digest harder natural materials, such as bark and lichen. They may even eat insects!

They’re highly social, with troops of several females and young and a single male or multiple males (as in hamadryas baboons and most langurs). They have menstrual cycles, but are largely monogamous. They can be aggressive and territorial toward outsiders, as well as other members of their troop.

When a monkey spots a juicy mango high in the branches, she must decide whether it’s worth climbing up to get it. Her brain must weigh expected risk against anticipated reward, a process called “motivated behavior.” If she’s motivated enough, cortisol and dopamine surge to drive her forward. But, if she’s a bit too ambitious, the branch may give way.

While we know that monkeys love bananas, many people don’t realize that monkeys will try any food if it’s offered to them. That’s why it is so tempting to feed a monkey anything, but monkeys need a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables for their digestive systems to be healthy. They also need vitamin C, which their bodies can’t synthesize.