Virtual Non-Human Primate Zoo

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Haplorrhini

      Infraorder: Simiiformes

        Parvorder: Platyrrhini

          Superfamily:  Ceboidea

            Family:  Atelidae

              Subfamily:  Atelinae

                Genus:  Ateles

                  Species:  marginatus

 

COMMON NAME:

• White-cheeked Spider Monkey

• White-whiskered Spider Monkey

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION:

• Brazil:  States of Mato Grosso and Pará

 

HABITAT:

• lowland rainforest

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

• relatively large body size

• spider-like limbs

• head is fairly small

• long, prehensile tail

• coarse, short fur

• tail tip is hairless

 

DIET:  Frugivorous

• largely on the mature, soft parts of a very wide variety of fruits

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:

• brachiation

• arm-swinging

• climbing

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION:  

• Fission-Fussion Society

 

PARENTAL CARE:  Mother is the primary caregiver

 

COMMUNICATION:

• facial expressions

• body posture

• vocalizations

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

"Male and female spider monkeys are similarly in size and coloration but the female can be mistaken for a male as a result of an unusually elongated clitoris."[2]

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Endangered

Threats:

• deforestation related to highway construction and plantation expansion

• hunting

 

To learn more about Ateles marginatus, visit the following websites:

1. IUCN Red List - Ateles marginatus

2. ARKive - White-whiskered spider monkey (Ateles marginatus)

3. ZipCodeZoo.com - Ateles marginatus (White-cheeked Spider Monkey)

4. Takahashi, Julia (2008) A literature review of the spider monkey, Ateles sp., with special focus on risk for extinction.  Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Degree project 2008:49, ISSN 1652-8697

5. AngryMonkey.com

 

Information and photographs compiled by S. Gonzalez and D. Jackson.