Spider Monkey Facts For Kids

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Thank you for stopping by to check out some fun Spider Monkey Facts For Kids. In rain forests in Central and South America as well as places as far north as Mexico there is a funny and crazy little creature known as the Spider Monkey.

They prefer to live in mangrove forests, lowland to mountain forests and even in evergreen rain forests. They typically dwell up in the trees, rarely coming down close to the ground. Spider monkeys also prefer to be in a wet forest environment instead of a dry area. Originating in North or South America, the spider monkey is considered to be a primitive New World monkey.

They are typically 3-5 feet tall and like to use their strong tails to swing at very high speeds from tree to tree. When hanging from trees spider monkeys can have a spider like appearance, this is where they get their name. They have different colors of fur, but typically range from a golden to brown to black color. They do not have underfur or hair on their faces, their hair is very stringy and coarse. Baby spider monkeys are typically black and don’t start to change color until after they finish nursing.

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Spider Monkey Fast Facts

Scientific Name – Ateles

Rank- Genus

Type- Mammal

Diet- Omnivore

Average Life Span In Wild – 25 Years

Size – 14 to 26 inches (35- 66 cm)

Weight – 13.25 pounds (6kg)

Group Name – Troop

Typical Size Compared To A Human

More Spider Monkey facts For Kids

Check out some quick spider monkey facts for kids. These are some quick amazing and fun facts about spider monkeys for kids.

Quick Spider Monkey Facts For Kids

♦ They are smart! Their brain weights 107 grams and is twice the size of the howler monkey, which is about the same size.

♦ They can be oddly human like at times. They will hug each other when they greet other spider monkeys they know from groups. They will also wrap their tails around each other to show affection.

♦ They have no thumb and have 4 hooked shape fingers which resemble hooks.

♦ They seem to have homes they deem as special and will sleep in that tree every night. Almost like it’s their own home.

♦ The largest of the spider monkeys are the black-headed species.

♦ Spider monkeys can typically live up to 25 years in the wild and around 35 in captivity.

♦ The spider monkey females take lead when going on a hunt for food. The female will lead the troop of spider monkeys with a specific route in mind to search for food.

♦ Black-headed young spider monkeys will wrap their tiny tails around their mommy’s tail to feel more secure. Kind of like a security blanket.

♦ They rarely will get on the ground of the forest, they spend most of their time in the trees.

♦ Many say that spider monkeys actually have an extra hand, which is their tail. They display incredible control with their tails, making it more like an extra hand.

♦ They are incredibly agile and very fun to watch. They have been nick named the trapeze artists of the jungle!

Spider Monkey Facts For Kids Video

Check out this video that shows some cool facts about spider monkeys!

More Fun Facts About Spider Monkeys

Spider monkeys have very long and strong tails. These are often referred to as another hand because of the incredible amount of control they have with it. It’s actually longer than the rest of their body and is used for swinging in the trees performing incredible feats that the most talented acrobats would be jealous of. There is a hairless pad at the top of their tail that is unique to all spider monkeys, it’s used for traction and could also be a way to identify a specific spider monkey.

Spider monkeys bark when they are threatened. They warn others by barking in the direction of the threat, this is a way for them to communicate others in their troop. They will also break off branches and fruit and throw it at predators on the forest floor.

Spider Monkey Q&A

Let’s do a little spider monkey Question and Answer session. I’ll answer some of the most asked questions about spider monkeys for you!

Are Spider Monkeys Dangerous To Humans?

Although spider monkeys are typically friendly and playful they are still wild animals. They can cause harm and be pretty mischievous. Just keep in mind that they are wild animals and when or if you are ever around them to respect them as such. They are fine to be around just keep your guard up and remain cautious as you never know when the wild side of a spider monkey will take over!

Do Spider Monkeys Throw Poop

They do! It’s debated in the scientific community however as to why they do this. It was originally thought it was done as a defense mechanism. Further findings have proved that they will throw poop when they are bored, not just when they are defending themselves. So yes they do, but why? No one knows for sure!

Can You Have A Spider Monkey As A Pet?

Yes you can but there are things to consider. First, there are regulations to check and make sure you have adequate space. You also must check state regulations and permits to make sure it’s allowed in your area.

The second thing to consider is that spider monkeys can be a serious handful. They are cute and cuddly as baby’s but are hard to control as they get older. They are nearly impossible to potty train and have a lot of energy as adults. Unless you have a very large space to keep your spider monkey, it’s not suggested that you keep one as a pet.

Why Are Spider Monkeys Endangered?

Most species of spider monkeys are critically or endangered. Locals still hunt them for food and the large amount of habitat loss and destruction are some of the biggest factors. Much of the spider monkeys land is being cleared for farming or logging.

Spider Monkey Facts Conclusion

I hope that you learned a lot with all these fun spider monkey facts for kids. They truly are incredible animals and I hope that awareness will be enough to help them out some day. If you want to help Spider Monkeys out, go to this site to find out how you can help out!

Thank you so much for stopping by to learn about spider monkeys! Please make sure to check out some of our other great fact pages.

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