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Mammal. Also known as muriqui, the woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas as well as one of the most endangered in the world. With a prehensile (grasping) tail and long fingers that they hook over branches, they swing acrobatically through the forest canopy. Woolly spider monkeys spend most of their time high in the canopy and they drink water that collects in the leaves. They live peacefully together in troops of 5 to 25, generally having an equal number of males and females. When reaching maturity, females leave their birth troop to join another, while males tend to stay with their birth troop. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Brachyteles arachnoides |
Up to 30 years |
| Diet |
| Herbivore. They love fruit but also eat leaves, flowers, seeds and sometimes bark and ferns. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Their biggest threats are habitat destruction, and humans hunting them for food; other predators include jaguars, eagles, and snakes. |
| Habitat |
| Rainforest that comprises Brazil’s Atlantic Forest Region. |
