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BLACK-HANDED SPIDER MONKEY

Ateles geoffroyi

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DESCRIPTION

Spider monkeys have long, slender limbs and a prehensile tail that acts like an extra hand, helping them swing through the trees with incredible agility. Their fur is typically dark, with lighter patches around their faces, and they have expressive, wide eyes. Their tails are hairless underneath, providing a secure grip as they move through the canopy. These monkeys are built for acrobatics, with their elongated arms and legs allowing them to leap from branch to branch with ease. Watching them swing and flip around the jungle, it’s clear they’re nature’s playful, gravity-defying acrobats!

 

DIET

Spider monkeys are primarily frugivorous, meaning their diet consists mainly of fruits, which make up the majority of their food intake. They are known to consume a wide variety of fruits, including berries, figs, and other tropical fruits, which are abundant in the rainforests where they live. In addition to fruit, their diet is supplemented with leaves, flowers, and nuts. They are also known to eat seeds and occasionally insects, although these make up a smaller portion of their diet.

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS

Endangered primarily due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and poaching. As rainforests in Central America are cleared for agriculture, logging, and urban expansion, these monkeys lose the vast tree canopies they rely on for food and shelter. Habitat fragmentation makes it even harder for them to travel between forest patches, limiting access to resources and mates. Additionally, poaching for bushmeat and the illegal pet trade further threatens their population. With slow reproduction rates and increasing pressures from climate change, the species faces a precarious future. Conservation efforts focused on habitat protection and reducing human impact are critical to saving these acrobatic primates.

FIND OUT MORE
OUR ANIMAL FAMILY
ANIMAL FACTS

BLACK-HANDED SPIDER MONKEY

GROUP NAME

Troop

Native To

SIZE

1.2 to 1.5 metres (including tail)

BABY NAME

Infant

Habitat

Native to Central America's tropical rainforests, primarily found in regions of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and parts of Nicaragua. They prefer moist lowland forests, riverine forests and cloud forests with abundant trees for food and shelter. These monkeys are arboreal, spending most of their time in the tree canopy, where they forage for fruits and leaves and use their long arms and prehensile tail to navigate through the forest. They also inhabit areas with dense vegetation that provides cover from predators.

Did You Know?

Spider monkeys are known for their playful and acrobatic displays. Sometimes, they will engage in dramatic, swinging "dances" or aerial acrobatics to communicate or simply for fun or to solve problems and adapt to their environment. Making them one of the most resourceful primates in the rainforest!

Unique Faces - Black-handed spider monkeys have bare, dark faces that are expressive and help them recognize each other.

No Thumbs - Spider monkeys don’t have opposable thumbs. Instead, they have a reduced thumb, which makes their hands appear like long, slender hooks. This adaptation is perfect for swinging through trees but limits their ability to grasp objects as humans do.

Silent Swingers - Unlike many other primates, spider monkeys are relatively quiet. They communicate using subtle vocalizations and body movements rather than loud calls or screams, which helps them move through the forest undetected by predators.

Social and Playful - These monkeys live in large, social groups and spend a lot of time grooming, playing, and interacting with each other, creating a tight-knit community.

MEET OUR

ANIMAL FAMILY

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GIRAFFE

Gotti, our first giraffe calf born at Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, is full of curiosity and confidence. Under his mother’s watchful eye, he loves to run and explore his habitat with boundless energy.

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BLACK-HANDED SPIDER MONKEY

With long limbs and prehensile tails, spider monkeys are expert climbers. Watching them traverse great heights, swinging and leaping with effortless grace, their agility is undeniable.

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