Monkey Feeding Habits

Monkeys are a diverse group of mammals that belong to the infraorder Simiiformes. They have nimble fingers, opposable thumbs, and can use tools, making them great climbers and adept at foraging for food in the wild. They’re also known to play a role in their natural habitats by pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds. They even seem to understand emotions, expressing love, anger, sadness, and mourning the loss of loved ones.

Monkey feeding habits vary depending on the species and habitat. However, many of them are omnivores. They eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, leaves, flowers, seeds, insects, and birds’ eggs. Some species like the proboscis monkey (the one with the huge nose) eat only ripe fruit, as unripe fruit contains gasses that could cause their stomachs to swell up and die.

Other kinds of monkeys, such as Old World monkeys, eat both plant and animal foods. They’ll fill their cheek pouches with leaves, fruits, and seeds as they forage for food throughout the day. They’ll eat insects, birds’ eggs, and other animals when they can find them, especially the small lizards that live in their habitat.

And if monkeys can’t find enough food in the trees, they’ll go on the ground and eat dirt, or even vegetable crops that grow near their habitats. They’ll even consume other monkeys if necessary, but they don’t usually hunt for meat because it’s less nutritious than other foods.