The yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) is one of the rare primate species belong to the New World. The monkey is native to Peru. It is found in San Martin and Peruvian Andes. The yellow-tailed woolly monkey is critically endangered but is believed to go extinct in the wild because scientists had only a few sightings in the last 100 years.
Yellow Tailed Woolly Monkey Facts
Anatomy
- The yellow-tailed woolly monkey is one of the largest mammals of Peru.
- Adult monkey reaches a length of 51.3 to 53.5 cm with a tail measuring up to 23.6–28.3 in (60.0–72.0 cm).
- The head-body length is about 20–27 in (50.8–68.6 cm).
- Males average 11.5 kg while females are 8 kg in weight.
- They are nearly the same of common woolly monkey.
- Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey is the other name of this species.
- They are thought to live in large groups consisting of 23 members.
- Yellow-tailed woolly monkey shows aggressive behavior when they confront each other. They will produce different calls such as mooning and short barking calls.
- They have dense fur with the upperparts are tawny dark brown to blue gray.The monkey has the ability to leap 15 m (49.2 ft).
Dig Deeper:
Distribution
- Yellow tailed woolly monkey occurs in the eastern slope of Cordillera Central in northern Peru.
- It is one of the least understood primate species because they live in isolated populations in the tropical Andes.
Habitat
- They make homes in rough terrain, deep river gorges, ravines, and steep mountains. Their habitats also include canopy which at a height of 20–25 meters.
- Cloud forests also make up the habitat of yellow tailed woolly monkey.
- One can also find their habitats in the montane cloud forests of the Peruvian Andes at an elevation of 9,840 ft (3,000 m).
- The home range is estimated to about 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi).
Feeding Ecology & Diet
- The yellow tailed woolly monkey is frugivorous. It is thought to rely on insects, leaves, flowers, seeds, and invertebrates.
- They are arboreal and diurnal species.
- Monkeys have a puppy-like bark which they produce when they defend territories.
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered