Filled with a variety of monkeys in different shapes and sizes, Guyana proudly host’s a diversity of species. One of such species is boastfully called the Guianan’s Squirrel Monkey. These energetic fellas fill the rainforest of Guyana and can also be found in the Zoo. Even though they are small, they are considered to be one of the cleverest monkeys due to having a large brain compared to the size of their body. One such clever acts is that they spread urine on their hands and feet. This means that they are able to leave a scent trail whilst moving about in the trees. Continue reading to find out more interesting facts about these intelligent animals.
Species Of Squirrel Monkeys
Common squirrel monkey is the traditional common name for several small squirrel monkey species native to the tropical areas of South America. The term common squirrel monkey had been used as the common name for Saimiri sciureus before genetic research by Jessica Lynch Alfaro and others indicated Saimiri sciureus covered at least 3 and possibly 4 species: the Guianan squirrel monkey (S. scuireus), Humboldt’s squirrel monkey (S. cassiquiarensis) and Collins’ squirrel monkey (S. collinsi). The Ecuadorian squirrel monkey (S. cassiquiarensis macrodon), generally regarded as a subspecies of Humboldt’s squirrel monkey, had also been sometimes proposed as a separate species that had originally been included within the term “common squirrel monkey.”
Scientific Classification Of The Guianan’s Squirrel Monkey
Guianan’s Squirrel Monkey – Saimiri sciureus [Scientific name]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Primates
- Suborder: Haplorhini
- Infraorder: Simiiformes
- Family: Cebidae
- Genus: Saimiri
- Species: S. sciureus
Features Of The Guianan’s Squirrel Monkey
- Face – The monkey has a pink face, black muzzle and white arches over the eyes.
- Head – The crown of its head is olive or olive gray.
- Fur – The fur on its back can vary in color among gray, olive or orange, but the belly is white and the arms are yellow-orange.
- Male Monkeys – The males have a body between 25 and 37 centimetres (9.8 and 14.6 in) long with a tail between 36 and 40 centimetres (14 and 16 in) long. Males weigh between 550 and 1,400 grams (19 and 49 oz).
- Female Monkey – Females have a body between 25 and 34 centimetres (9.8 and 13.4 in) long with a tail between 36 and 47 centimetres (14 and 19 in) long. The females weigh between 550 and 1,200 grams (19 and 42 oz).
Reproduction Of The Guianan’s Squirrel Monkey
Guianan Squirrel monkeys can live more than 20 years. The females are sexually mature at about 2 ½ years, and males are fully mature at 4 or 5 years. When it comes to breeding, it is typically synchronized within each group. The males gain weight in the upper portion of their bodies and become more aggressive prior to mating season and the females do not appear to initiate mating. As for the gestation period, it is about 5 months and all infants within a group are typically born within one week of each other during January or February. Sadly, the males provide no parental care but on the bright side non-maternal females provide some alloparental care. The sweet little infants have slightly prehensile tails and are weaned at about 6 months.
Did You Know? The Guianan’s Squirrel Monkey is a species of squirrel monkey from Guiana (Guyana), Venezuela and Brazil. They are seen in primary or secondary forest and are commonly found in seasonally flooded forest and at river’s edge.
The Guianan Squirrel Monkey’s Diet
The monkey’s diet includes insects, seeds, fruit, young leaves, flowers, gum, shoots, nectar, spiders, lizards and bird eggs. On at least one occasion one was seen eating a bat, although it does not appear to hunt bats as often as the related Central American squirrel monkey. The Guianan squirrel monkey often feeds and moves in mixed species groups with capuchin monkeys. It also associates with the red-backed bearded saki.
Tip: Hybrids with the bare-eared squirrel monkey are known to occur along the boundaries of the Guianan squirrel monkey’s ranges.
Guianan’s Squirrel Monkey
These monkeys are diurnal; like humans they are active mostly in the day. Because the monkey’s tail is not prehensile, they cannot use it to grab onto things. They just use it for balance, nothing more. Interestingly, they are highly vocal and have around 25-30 different types of call. They are usually quiet, but will utter loud cries when alarmed. They use the different types of calls for specific situations. Some of their common call types include caws, bawls, and shrieks. Bands or troops can number from 12-100. Occasionally, troops as large as 500 have been seen in undisturbed forests. Large, active groups are easily seen darting about in trees and bushes, busily tearing off bark, looking under leaves, and moving through branches in search of insects. Guyana is privileged to have these intriguing monkeys. Yes, they are considered to be one of the cleverest monkeys due to having a large brain compared to the size of their body.
Article References:
- https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/zoo/meet-the-zoo-animals/common-squirrel-monkey/
- http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/squirrel_monkey_facts/332/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_squirrel_monkey
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guianan_squirrel_monkey
- https://iwokrama.org/mammals/guides/prim0.html
- https://a-z-animals.com/animals/squirrel-monkey/
