Arachnid monkey - description, habitat, lifestyle

The content of the article

1 The appearance of arachnids
2 Lifestyle and behavior
3 Life span
4 What do arachnid primates eat?
5 Monkey breeding
6 Video: arachnid monkey (Atelidae)

Arachnids are a variety of mammals that are primates. The family of these animals is defined as "wide-nosed monkeys." It is worth noting that this family is very numerous in our time, the group has about 30 different species, each of which is distributed mainly in the New World.

The appearance of arachnids

These animals got their unusual name mainly due to their rather interesting appearance. Firstly, this species of monkey has very strong legs and arms, with the help of which it can overcome many obstacles like real spiders. Secondly, the tail section plays a significant role in this case. The fact is that with the help of the tail, monkeys can calmly hold on to the branches, clutching them as if it is another fifth limb. If you watch these animals from the side, when they climb trees, you can see how they move with the help of arms, legs and tail. From the side in this position, they really resemble spiders.

This species of monkey is currently considered one of the largest of those that are common in American territories. The body length of these primates reaches about 65 centimeters, the minimum size of monkeys in length is about 34 centimeters. The tail of these primates has an impressive length; it can even reach 90 centimeters. The average mass of arachnids varies in the range from 4 to 10 kilograms. Adult females - representatives of this species have larger sizes and mass than males.

On the tail of arachnid monkeys, namely in its lower part, there is a small area without wool, on which there are special skin scallops. These scallops carry a functional load, provide better tenacity of the animal. In most representatives of the species, the forelimbs are comparatively longer than the hind limbs. However, in some individuals, the fore and hind limbs may be the same length. It is interesting that on the hands of these primates there are no thumbs, but on the legs, on the contrary, they are very well developed. Arachnids have a rather long coat, the color of which can be different. In most cases, the coat color has various shades of brown. The muzzle of these monkeys is predominantly dark in color.

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Lifestyle and behavior

Arachnid monkeys live mainly in small groups, which include up to a maximum of ten individuals. In rare cases, when there is some need for this, animals can form whole flocks of up to forty individuals. As a territory for life, primates of this species choose mainly forest canopies, while animals n descend to the ground. In order to exist normally, arachnids need to have quite large trees growing on the territory.

At night, the monkeys are also located on trees, sleeping, being placed not far from each other. To move among plants, primates use the forelimbs, as well as a very tenacious tail. This method is called half-brachyration. Mostly arachnids are active in the daytime.

The behavior of primates of this species during the day is quite standard. The activity of these animals consists of food, short trips, communication with other individuals, as well as relaxation.It is worth noting that these animals cannot be called extremely active; they spend about half of their daytime relaxing. About 20% of the activity period is occupied by the nutrition process. Sociable representatives of the species cannot be called either, since they spend only about 2% of the daytime on communication with other individuals. The remaining period of time the arachnids are happy to spend moving among the vegetation.

Each group of primates chooses a separate tree for life, on which they can settle down and arrange their own housing. It is worth noting that, if active deforestation is carried out in the area where arachnid monkeys live, individuals can easily leave their inhabited territories. Animals will return to their former place only when the trees have reached the heights necessary for life.

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Life span

In addition to their unusual appearance, representatives of arachnids also differ in the difference in life expectancy. Males in natural conditions, as a rule, live no more than 10 years. Females live a little longer, can live quietly up to 12-15 years. If you create optimal conditions for these animals to live, they can live even 25 years or more. There are examples when in captivity representatives of this species survived to 40 years.

What do arachnid primates eat?

The basis of the menu of arachnids is made up of various plants, of which primates eat mainly leaves and flowers. In addition, seeds and fruits can be used to supplement monkey diets. In rare cases, monkeys of this species can pamper themselves with insects or softwood.

Monkey breeding

The female arachnid primates during one pregnancy in most cases carries only one cub. Unlike many other animals, monkeys of this species are completely not attached to the seasons and can breed all year round. It is worth noting that during the period of mating and bearing offspring, primates react extremely negatively and aggressively to other individuals. At first, the female independently feeds the baby, after it reaches the age of 4 months, plant food is introduced into its diet. With the mother, the cub remains for about a couple of years, after which it begins to lead an independent life. The primate becomes sexually mature only at the age of five.

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