Grow Your Vision

KEEPER NOTE Black-headed Spider Monkey

“Why are they called blacked headed if they are black all over?”

Black-headed spider monkeys are the largest of the seven spider monkey species, but their body fur color can actually be brown, red, gold, or sometimes even white.

“How smart are they?”

Spider monkeys are the most intelligent of the New World monkeys (species found in Central and South America, as opposed to African, Asiatic, and European monkeys). They also play an extremely important role in the ecosystem, as they are “dispersers,” meaning they spread the seeds of needed plants through their poop.

“Why don’t they swing?”

Spider monkeys are very agile, second only to the Gibbon, but they prefer hanging and climbing to swinging. Plus, their prehensile tail acts like an extra hand. It even has a fingerprint on the tip!

“Is that monkey a girl or a boy?”

The appendage hanging from the female Spider monkey is a normal part of their reproductive anatomy, which makes it difficult for the casual observer to distinguish between girl and boy monkeys.