| Monk saki[1] | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Pitheciidae |
| Genus: | Pithecia |
| Species: | P. monachus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pithecia monachus (É. Geoffroy, 1812) |
|
| Monk Saki range | |
The monk saki, Pithecia monachus, is a species of saki monkey, a type of New World monkey, from South America. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It lives in forested areas. It can grow up to be 37–48 cm long and weigh about 1.5-3 kilograms, approximately the same as a large rabbit. The tail can be up to 40 or 50 centimeters long. . It has coarse fur, and was almost hunted to extinction in the late 1900s. It has long, shaggy hair framing its face and on its neck and a thick, bushy tail. A shy, wary animal, it is totally arboreal, living high in the trees and sometimes descending to lower levels but not to the ground. It generally moves on all fours but may sometimes walk upright on a large branck and will leap across gaps. During the day, it moves in pairs or small family groups, feeding on fruits, berries, honey, some leaves, small mammals such as mice and bats, and birds. The female gives birth to 1 young.