What is a Monkey?

monkey

A monkey is a general term for most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, or simians. They are primates that have a long tail, which they use for balance and vertical leaping as they travel from tree to tree. Most monkeys are arboreal, but some have adapted to life on the ground.

Most monkeys live in large groups, and they communicate with facial expressions and body movements as well as vocalizations, including barks, purrs, squeaks, yawns, grunts, and deep howls that can be heard for miles. Staring at another monkey can be perceived as a threat, so the animals usually look down or away instead of at each other. They also employ other signals, such as shaking the head and bobbing it up and down.

In many cases, monkeys groom each other to express affection or make peace with other members of their group. Grooming also appears to be a way for monkeys to get rid of parasites, as well as to remove dirt and dead skin.

The majority of monkeys are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of plants such as fruit, seeds, flowers, leaves, fungi, and bark. However, some monkeys are carnivorous and eat animals such as insects and birds’ eggs.

A wide variety of habitats is home to monkeys, including tropical rainforests in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and the savannas of Africa. Some, such as geladas and golden monkeys, are mountain dwellers, while others, such as the New World spider monkey, live in forests but swing from tree to tree, using their long limbs like “spider legs.” They have four fingers on each hand (no thumbs) for grasping branches.