Common Squirrel Monkey
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| Common Squirrel Monkey[1] | ||||||||||||||
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| Saimiri sciureus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus) is a small New World primate from the Cebidae (squirrel monkey) family, and native to the tropical areas of South America.
It lives in very large groups, up to 300 individuals, on moist tropical forests, and usually forages in the medium and lower levels of the forest and sleeps close to the canopy. The females are the dominant members of the group.
It is a very agile monkey, with a high metabolic rate, and although an omnivorous animal, it feeds primarily on insects and other invertebrates. It also feeds on fruits, seeds and other plant parts.
It is common to see these squirrel monkeys in mixed groups, moving along with other primate species and birds.
There are four subspecies of Saimiri sciureus:
- Saimiri sciureus sciureus
- Saimiri sciureus albigena
- Humboldt's Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri sciureus cassiquiarensis
- Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri sciureus macrodon
The Common Squirrel Monkey S. sciureus is used as a pet and in medical research.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 139. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ Rylands et al (2003). Saimiri sciureus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
- ^ Rhines, C. 2000. "Saimiri sciureus", Animal Diversity Web.
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