Monkey Facts For Kids

How many of you are aware of these wonderful monkey facts for kids? In this post I’ll be explaining all the notable characteristics of monkeys that you’ve not come across more often. A monkey is a primate that belongs to the suborder of Haplorrhini.

There are around 260 monkey species in the world. Most of these mammals are arboreal except few that tend to live on ground for instance baboons. In general, monkeys are regarded as intelligent animals.

The majority of these species have tails with the exception of apes. There are few characteristics that are shared by most species within the group; the New World monkeys, as compared to Old World monkeys, have prehensile tails whereas the latter do have such feature.

One can distinguish the difference between the Old World and New World monkey simply by their faces which look not much the same. Despite all these differences, the noses, cheeks, and forward-facing eyes are common between the two. Here are the most important facts about monkeys for kids.

The length of the monkey ranges from 140 – 160 mm (5 – 6 inches) including tail, with the weight measuring at 120 – 140 grams (4 – 5 oz). There are some species that are 1 meter (3.3 feet) long with the weight of about 35 kg (77 lb).
Monkeys are usually classified into two groups, the Old World monkeys found in Africa and Asia, and the New World monkeys found in South America.
Apes are mistakenly considered as monkeys but they are not monkeys.
The majority of these mammals are tree-dwellers while few of them live on ground.
There is considerable difference in monkeys diet and it primarily varies within species. The most common food shared by almost all monkeys is seeds, flowers, eggs, fruits, leaves, nuts, and small insects including spiders.
These animals are highly sociable and they have a congenial attitude towards humans. Some of these species are kept as model organisms for laboratory-testing while others are treated as pets.
Some of these species are treated as agricultural pests and can lead to the ultimate damage to the crops.
The primates have two canine teeth, four of which are cutting teeth.
Howler monkeys reside in groups known as troops. Of the group, only one male monkey is known to howl at morn.
The booming sound of monkeys can be heard at a distance of about 1 mile (1.6 km).
One of the monkey species is called spider monkey because of its long tail and lengthy spidery limbs.
Spider monkeys are adept to walk on two legs across the tree top.
The monkey’s tail helps them to swing and walk easily on trees.
The monkeys with the longest nose are called proboscis. These species are exclusively found on the south of the continent of Australia and the island of Borneo.

Dig Deeper:

Amazing Monkey Facts For Kids

New World and Old World Monkeys

Which is the Most Intelligent Monkey in the New World?

Capuchin monkeys are considered to be the most intelligent monkey in the New World Monkeys. These primates eat small animals and insects, but also feed on fruits and vegetation. They are known to consume more than 95% plant species; however, they generally prefer palm fruits.

Dig Deeper: Capuchin Monkey Facts

Which are the Two Monkeys that Sleep during the Day?

Of all primates, Owl Monkey and Tarsier are the only nocturnal monkeys that sleep during the day. Owl monkey comes out at night to eat small insects, leaves, and fruits.

The males usually hoot at night to find his female counterpart and to announce his territory. They mate for life and male nourishes the young. Tarsiers are the small primates with large eyes which help them seeing at night.

Which Monkey has the Loudest Arguments?

Howler monkeys have the loudest arguments and they usually mark their territories by howling matches, with nearby troops. Generally both male and female have loud howling voices but males have relatively louder arguments.

Dig Deeper: Howler Monkey Facts

Howlers simply let others know they are around. The howling voices are heard at a distance of 2 – 3 miles and usually at dusk, dawn, or during rainstorms. Some people claim that they have heard howling voices as far as 10 miles. That is why they are named as such.

Which Monkey has the Longest Nose?

Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) has unusually large nose and is native to the south-east Asian island of Borneo. The nose is long so much so that it hangs down right over its mouth. It is an Old World Monkey. Proboscis is a frugivore and it feeds on leaves and fruits but also consumes seeds, insects, and flowers.

Dig Deeper: Proboscis Monkey Facts

Which Monkey Pretends to be Stupid?

Low-ranking rhesus monkey usually behaves stupidly and they do this simply to avoid any conflict with dominant monkeys. Besides, rhesus monkeys are not the quick learners like dominant monkeys.

Dig Deeper: Yellow Tailed Woolly Monkey Facts

However, they do learn very quickly in the absence of any dominant monkey, tests have revealed. This implies that rhesus monkey inhibit their learning abilities while dominant monkeys are there.

Which Monkey is a Color-blind?

All the South American monkeys are color-blind as they seem to recognize no color.

Which Monkey Form the Largest Groups?

The Barbary Macaque monkeys are known to form large groups comprising 10 – 30 individuals and they live in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Gibraltar.

Which is the Largest New World Monkey?

Howler monkey is the largest New World Monkey with the length measuring at 28 inches, excluding tail. Howler monkeys inhabit Central and South America. They are characterized by bearded appearance together with a prehensile tail.

Which Monkey can also See Red and Greens?

The African and Asian monkeys are known to see red and green color. The rest of the monkeys can only see yellows and blues. This characteristic feather is very important since it helps them to identify the ripening fruit.

Which Monkey Seem like a Military Monkey?

The Patas Monkey appears to be a military monkey because of its unmistakable red coat along with the mustache and it almost seems like a nineteenth-century army colonel. It can run as fast as 35 miles per hour. It is also known as dancing or red monkey.

Which Monkey has the Longest Tail?

Spider monkey has the longest tail with the length of 89 cm (35 inches). The tail is too long and flexible that it enables it to hang upside down very easily and the monkey uses to balance while climbing over the trees.

Which is the Most Colorful Monkey in the World?

Mandrills are probably the most colorful monkey in the world and perhaps the most colorful among mammals too. They are identified by their blue and red skin on their faces and are very shy primates. They occupy the rainforests of equatorial Africa.

Which is the Smallest Monkey in the World?

Pygmy marmoset monkey is arguably the smallest Monkey with the head-and-body length averaging 5.5 – 11.4 inches (14 – 29 cm). It has 7.9 – 15.8 inches (20 – 40 cm) long tail. You can well imagine its size that it can easily wrap around itself on your finger. It weighs only 3.9 – 21.9 oz (110 – 620 g). Pygmy marmoset is a critically endangered species and is found in tropical and subtropical forests.

Which is the Largest Monkey in the World?

Mandrills are the largest monkeys in the world with the size of 3 feet (90 cm), and weigh up to 77 lbs (35 kg). the average lifespan of mandrill is 20 years in the wild.

Which is the Strangest of the New World Monkeys?

Uakaris is probably the strangest monkey in the New World Monkey family. They have a bright red face which makes them odd in physical outlook. Besides, these bald-head monkeys have scruffy hair all-round the body except the head. It prefers to stay in trees in the wet season.