What is a Monkey?

monkey

A monkey is a primate of the infraorder Haplorrhini, and the suborder Similformes. Typically, they have five digits (the thumb and big toe are divergent); the claws are found only on certain New World monkey species such as marmosets. Except for a few Old World forms, monkeys are predominantly arboreal; they use their hands as well as feet to grasp tree branches. Some monkeys, such as geladas and Japanese macaques, live in mountains; others, like baboons and mandrills, spend their time on the savanna.

Monkeys are highly intelligent, and they often adapt to their environments in clever ways. For example, when they first encounter a new food—such as sweet potatoes or candy wrapped in paper—a few individuals may experiment with how to get at it. Once they figure out how, these innovations may spread throughout entire troops.

Most monkeys are social animals, and they usually live in troops with a single male and female breeding pair and their offspring. But a few monkeys—such as titi monkeys, some marmosets, and hamadryas baboons—live in multimale, multifemale groups. In general, monkeys bond with other troop members through grooming, and they often remember their past interactions. An old rival may be greeted with rage when encountered, but a trusted friend will be there to help in a fight or defend a territory.

Many species of monkey are endangered, and their future remains uncertain as long as humans persist in their unsustainable practices. These include hunting them for meat and fur, as well as using them for medical research. While defenders of testing on monkeys argue that the benefits of the work outweigh the harm done to the monkeys, such trials have also drawn criticism from animal rights advocates.