Familia: Atelidae
Especie de hábitos arbóreos, importante dispersor de semillas, su dependencia a los bosques tropicales, su gran tamaño, su estatus de especie en peligro de extinción, presión de cacería y captura sobre la especie, falta de conocimiento sobre su distribución actual y sobre sus poblaciones, son características que hacen que el mono araña sea una especie prioritaria para la conservación.
Spider Monkey Diet
Its favorite food is wild fruits, which is why it is known as a frugivorous animal. In fact, 80% of its diet is ripe fruits and the other 20% is made up of young leaves, seeds and flowers, although it may occasionally consume some insects. To measure the ripeness of the fruits use the sense of smell. When its food decreases, it moves to other sites in search of new feeding areas. You can move with great agility and speed over daily distances that exceed 500 meters.
Behaviour
It is a diurnal primate, that is, its activities are carried out during the day; It has arboreal habits, which is why it lives in groups that constantly move between the trees in search of food. He likes to swing in search of food, feed and rest.
As it is very agile, it is common to see it hanging by one arm, one leg or by the tail. When he moves through the branches, he does so easily, quickly, and uses all of his limbs. For this reason, the most frequent thing is to see it jump from one place to another, propelling itself with its arms or tail, which is called brachylation. It also tends to pick up, even above the trees, objects with its tail and take them from one place to another.
To communicate with other individuals, it emits a vocalization, similar to a bark, especially when it wants to give alarm signals or is agitated. When threatened, it throws objects, shakes tree branches and jumps up and down.
Reproduction
Reproduction occurs throughout the year, observing a reproductive peak in the dry season. After a gestation period of 200 to 232 days, the females give birth to a single calf, which they care for and feed during the first year of life. The calf for the first few weeks remains hanging in front of the mother and then they are supported by the lower part of the back. As the lactation period is prolonged (up to 8 months), this influences so that the female does not reproduce again the following year. Mating takes place every 2 to 4 years. Females reach sexual maturity at 4 years and males at 5 years.