Amongst the few animals a young child learns to identify easily is the monkey. In fact, there has been much curiosity about monkeys amongst scientists and others. This is because according to the theory of human evolution, man’s beginning is from monkeyhood to humankind.
While researchers are working on understanding and proving this theory, here are some monkey facts that are astounding and interesting and factual, all at the same time.
- There is a colorful species of the monkey called the mandrill baboon. This animal has blue cheeks, a red nose and an orange beard.
- Chimpanzees use more tools in comparison to any other existing animal except for man.
- A chimpanzee is capable of recognizing its reflection, which is not possible for any other species of monkeys.
- The most common monkey species of South America is the squirrel monkey
- The squirrel monkeys leap from tree to tree and rarely walk on the ground
- The colobus monkeys have bushy tails that are generally longer than their body.
- The only place where one will spot the Kirk’s Red Colobus monkey is Zanzibar.
- The loudest animal on land is the male howler monkey, which inhabits parts of Central and South America. Its noise can be heard up to a distance of ten miles away.
- The female spider monkey gives birth every three to four years and the young ones are dependant on their mother’s for the first 2 to 3 years.
- The spider monkeys use both of their arms, legs and tail to climb up and down trees.
- The spider monkeys have fingers that are hook-like fingers and no thumb.
- The tip of the tail of a spider monkey supports the entire weight of their body.
- Gorillas suffer from colds and other common ailments like human beings.
- The snow monkeys live in regions that go to temperatures as low as -10ºC.