Community Magazine October 2014

68 Community magazine The Monkey Monkeys are found naturally in the jungles and forests of the Southern Hemisphere. There are around 260 known species of monkey worldwide. Themonkey can be anywhere from just a few inches tall, with some species of monkey growing tomore than three feet tall. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, and are divided into two groups; the Old World monkeys that are found in Asia and Africa, and the New Worldmonkeys that are found in South America. T he Old World monkeys are larger than the New World monkeys. Although both the New World monkeys and Old World monkeys have forward facing eyes, the faces of Old World monkeys and New World monkeys look very different, though each group shares some features such as the types of noses and cheeks. Howler monkeys are among the largest of the New World monkeys, with some species growing a little more than three-feet long. Howler monkeys are aptly named for their piercing howling cries. They have the loudest call of all the primates in the world with some howler monkeys being able to project their howling voices for up to a few miles! Despite their large size, howler monkeys weigh less than twenty two pounds, which allows them to move with more agility through the high trees. They use their tail as an extra arm to grip or hang from branches – no Old World monkeys have such a tail. A gripping tail is especially helpful to howler monkeys since they rarely descend to the ground. They prefer to stay high in the trees, munching on fruit and leaves that make up most of their diet. One example of an Old World monkey is the mandrill. The mandrill is considered to be one of the largest monkey species in the world. The mandrill is very colorful, perhaps more so than any other mammal. It is easily recognized by its face’s blue and red skin. The mandrill has a long snout; sharp teeth; a thick body; and arms that are longer than its legs. Its tail is just a short stump, while its cheeks have built-in pouches that are used to store snacks for later consumption. The adult male mandrill is about three feet tall. It has an orange-yellow beard and a large head that is topped with shaggy, brown hair. Its long, bluish-white snout has a striking, bright red streak right down the middle. The male mandrill also has incredibly long teeth, which it bares as a warning to predators. Due to their large size, mandrills have few predators in their natural environment. The leopard is the main predator of the mandrill, although young mandrills need to watch out for large snakes and birds of prey, too. A mandrill can live for an average of twenty-eight years in the wild. Mandrill