Monkeys have very large brains, and they are known for their inquisitiveness. Their well-developed hands and vision allow them to explore their environment with great freedom. They have a wide range of emotions like love, anger, jealousy, grief, fear and sadness. They are able to learn, communicate, and show empathy with their troop members. They can even laugh, and it’s a lot like when we giggle!
Monkeys often live together in a troop, or family group. Troop members are closely related, and their kinship is extremely important. They live together for protection, companionship, food and mating opportunities. Most monkeys live in one-male groups, where a male dominates and rules the troop, but many are also part of multi-male and/or female groups.
Despite their great intelligence, monkeys do not achieve the levels of cognitive complexity of the great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans). They can solve complex problems with their hands and use tools, such as stones to crack nuts. Some monkeys, such as capuchins, can change the size of their tool to match the nut they are trying to crack.
They are omnivores, and eat a variety of foods, including nuts, fruits, vegetables, bark, leaves, roots, insects, rodents, birds and invertebrates. They can even drink water from a stream or river. Some species, such as Japanese macaques, or “snow monkeys,” travel in troops to volcanic hot springs to bathe and relax in the warm water. Some monkeys, such as the cynomolgus macaques at the TNPRC, are excellent swimmers and have small pools and sprinklers in their enclosures for them to enjoy.