A monkey is a tailless, humanlike primate of tropical and subtropical regions. Monkeys are very intelligent, inquisitive animals. Their brain development, coupled with their free hands and well-developed vision, allows them a wide range of activities. They often solve problems creatively and invent new behaviours, but they do not reach the intellectual levels of the great apes. Some, like capuchins (genus Cebus), spontaneously use objects as tools.
Almost all monkeys live in troops, which may contain a single male and female (hamadryas baboons and mandrills), or a single female with her offspring and several unrelated males (savannah baboons, macaques). Troops usually travel together by day to look for food. They maintain close bonds through daily mutual grooming. In a few species, such as the gray titi monkey (Cercopithecus albigularis), males form their own groups.
Like apes, monkeys are very agile and adept at leaping between trees, and they can even swing across the tops of tall trees, as you might see children doing on a playground set of “monkey bars.” In addition, many monkey species have hind legs that are much longer than their front limbs, making them particularly nimble.
Many kinds of monkeys have very close relationships with humans. Some are kept as pets, and others are used in experiments or on space missions. They are sometimes killed in “monkey drives,” which aim to remove them from areas where they might threaten agriculture or domestic livestock. Many cultures also incorporate monkeys into mythology or literature, such as Sun Wukong, the main character in Journey to the West.