Generally all monkeys are considered simians, although there is a distinction between “monkey” and “ape” (Hominoidea).
Most types of monkey live together in groups. They use facial expressions, body movements, and noises to communicate with each other. Some species, such as squirrel monkeys, have more than 25 different calls that can include barks, screams, purrs, and squawks.
Monkeys are omnivores; they can eat plants and animals. They typically eat leaves, fruits, seeds, nuts, and insects.
Their diets are based on what’s available to them in their environment, but they can also adapt to new foods. For example, howler monkeys eat leaves because they have long digestive tracts for absorbing hard-to-digest leaf nutrients, and colobus monkeys eat leafy foods because they have chambered stomachs that allow them to digest leaves through bacterial fermentation.
They also eat fruit because it is a tasty treat and it helps them keep their energy levels up. However, bananas are not a natural food for monkeys; they don’t consume them in the wild.
Monkeys can be found throughout the world except for Australia and Antarctica. They are most common in tropical rainforests. They are a very intelligent animal that can solve problems. Many types of monkeys are endangered or threatened. They are also killed by people who hunt them for their meat and fur. In addition, they are captured from the wild and sold as pets. Humans have even introduced monkeys to areas outside of their native range.