Monkey Facts

Monkeys are mammals of the primate order that exclude human beings, apes and the prosimians (lemurs and tarsiers). Monkeys are categorized into the New World Monkeys and the Old World Monkeys. Old World Monkeys refer to those that are found in Asia and Africa. They belong to the clade Catarrhini which means 'narrow nose'. The New World Monkeys are those that are found in Central and South America. These belong to the infraorder Platyrhhini which means 'flat nose'.

Monkeys form a paraphyletic group that consist of a large number of mammals. There are 264 extant monkey species that have a varied characteristics. Despite the large number of the various types of monkeys, there are common features or monkey facts that enable them to be grouped in a single category.

Monkey Facts - General Characteristics

Monkeys are social animals that live in groups of several hundreds of individuals, referred to as troops. They are mostly arboreal. Monkey habitat include grasslands, forests, mountains and high plains. Though monkeys are good swimmers, they avoid wetlands. The menu list of a monkey looks varied and includes fruits, leaves, seeds, nuts, flowers, eggs and even small animals. They are mostly diurnal other than a few exceptions. Monkeys have a highly organized social order with strict hierarchy.

Monkey Facts - Old World Monkeys

Found all over Africa (other than the deserts) and in Asia (mainly in South Asia), Old world Monkeys are characterized by nostrils that are close to each other and point downward. Some Old World Monkeys lack tails. Those that have, have tails that are never prehensile. Most of them are arboreal (living on trees) with the exception of Baboons and Macaque species that are terrestrials. Adult Old World Monkeys have 32 teeth and many species have cheek pouches. Research reveals that the Old World Monkeys are more closely related to humans and apes than are the New world Monkeys. Old World Monkeys are also referred to as true monkeys.

Monkey Facts - New World Monkeys

New World Monkeys are put under the class Platyrrhini as they have nostrils that are set wide apart on flat nose and point outward. All the members are arboreal and have prehensile tails that they used to hang from branches and also to manipulate objects. These monkeys have 36 teeth, 4 more than their counterparts of the Old World and none of the species have cheek pouches.

Interesting Facts about Monkeys

• Old World Monkeys and New World Monkeys form two of the three groups of the simian primates. The third group is that of the apes that has 21 species.
• Howler monkeys are the loudest monkeys whose howl can be heard from a distance of 100 miles.
• The tip of the tail of a spider monkey can support the weight of his entire body.
• Pygmy Marmoset measuring from 5 to 6 inches is the world's smallest monkey. It is a New world Monkey.
• Although a member of the Old World Monkey, the Mandrill monkey is often mistaken as a primate due to its size that ranges from 1 to 3 feet.
• If a monkey yawns it is a sign that he is either tired or angry at something.
• Grooming is a way of expressing affection for each other, among monkeys.
• Monkeys are known to use vocalizations, body movements and facial expressions to communicate.
• A monkey was once convicted and tried for having smoked in Indiana.
• Monkeys are worshiped in India and are supposed to be the manifestation of the monkey god Hanuman.

One of the facts about monkeys is, that these animals are very intelligent and highly adaptable. Loss of natural habitat has forced certain groups of monkeys to live in close proximity with human beings. Although, this often leads to conflict between these animals and human beings, reverence for monkeys due to religious association in certain cultures (for example in Hinduism and Buddhism), has made coexistence of these two varied groups possible.

Despite conflicts with human beings, from religion and mythology to the present day in science and space exploration, association of monkeys and human beings is one of the many interesting monkey facts. It is again because of their intelligence that species like the capuchin monkeys, prove to be excellent service animals for the disabled. It is sad but true, that these animals that have enthralled almost each one of us during our childhood with their antics, are since long been used in animal testing facilities to carry out experiments. Quite a few are also trained in captivity to perform tricks that become a source of income for their owners. Let's remember that just because we are on the highest rung of hierarchy in the animal kingdom, we are not the ones exclusively entitled to the dignity to live freely.