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By Marla Lise

Squirrel Monkey

Scientific Name: Saimiri oerstedii

Squirrel monkeys are found in the secondary forests of South America. These tiny monkeys only grow up to about 1100 grams and are seen scampering through all levels of the forest canopy on all 4 legs. They constantly also fling themselves from tree to tree, seemingly without any fear at all of falling. To help them jump like this, their thighs are shorter than the lower part of their legs and their tail is used to help them balance.

Squirrel monkeys can move in groups of up to 500 individuals. About 90% of their diet is made up of fruit, however they do eat little insects and bird eggs, making them omnivores.

(none). Photo by Rhett A. Butler
When babies are born, they spend the first few months of their lives clinging on to the backs of their mothers.

These monkeys are caught both for the illegal pet trade and for use in medical research. There have been many cases of these agile animals being caught in power lines and being electrocuted. Also, their small sizes makes them highly susceptible to attacks from birds of prey, snakes and cats.

From 1992 to 2003 these monkeys were listed as endangered. In 2008, they were then classified as vulnerable. However as more of their forest homes are being cut down, they might end up becoming endangered and soon after, even extinct.


FAQs

  • May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? Yes, you may provided that you don't remove the mongabay label from the images. You may use information from the site for class projects and can cite mongabay as the source.
  • Is this web site credible? Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. The site is highly acclaimed by a number of the world's leading tropical scientists. Mongabay Founder Rhett Butler has published several scientific papers.
  • Can I interview the founder of mongabay for my school project? Unfortunately Rhett is not available for interviews. However he has answered some common questions on the Rainforest Interview page.
  • Do you have any games or activities? Currently there are a few on the resources page.
  • How can I help save rainforests? Some ideas are listed at Rainforest Solutions.
  • Where can I learn more about rainforests? Check the main rainforest site.