A monkey’s omnivorous diet includes nuts, fruits, leaves, flowers, bark, vegetables, roots, rodents and birds-pretty much what is available in their habitat. The protein they need is supplied by insects, like caterpillars and grasshoppers, and other invertebrates found on the ground or in the trees, such as termites and spiders. They also catch tiny lizards and birds with their dexterous hands.
Monkeys are clever, inquisitive animals. Their large brains have given them a wide range of intellectual capabilities, including the ability to use tools and even to teach others. They are also very good at adapting to changing circumstances. But they lack the higher cognitive levels of great apes such as gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans.
Most monkeys live in troops consisting of females with their offspring and a single male (hamadryas baboons, mandrills, guenons, most langurs and savannah baboons) or several males (many New World monkey species). Males usually leave a troop when they reach maturity and form a new one with a different group of females.
While most of us associate monkeys with bananas, these are not a part of their natural diets in the wild. In fact, zoos have been trying to wean monkeys off their love of bananas and get them eating leafy greens and vegetables instead. It is a healthier option for them since bananas are a high-sugar food that can cause dental problems and diabetes in these animals.