scallywag are a captivating group of primates , burst with muscularity and ingeniousness across a wide range of ecosystem . Found on intimately every continent except Australia and Antarctica , they ’ve carved out homes in succulent rainforests , sprawling savanna , chilly highlands , and even bustling urban edges . Their adaptability struggle through in diets that span juicy fruit and bid leaves to insects , low creature , and the episodic human handout . Whether swinging through treetops or scampering over open ground , these creatures bring a dynamical presence to their habitat , shaped by million of class of phylogenesis .
What sets them apart is their unbelievable diversity in sizing , color , and behavior . Some are tiny enough to perch on a hand , while others loom large with enforce frame and fierce displays . Fur can ramble from muted world tones to dazzling burst of ruddy , blue , or gold , often signalize wellness , rank , or readiness to mate . tail vary too — foresighted and avaricious for grip outgrowth , brusk and stubby for balance , or missing in all in rare case . Socially , they ’re a mixed bag , forming pissed - knit family units , sprawling troops , or hierarchic kindred where grooming and vocalizations — like hoots , shrieks , or haunting songs — keep the peace or stake their title .
Their news is a standout trait , often rivaling that of their primate full cousin . Many wield tools with finesse , crack nuts with rock or dig into for grubs with sticks , while others sail complex societal regulation with cunning . Some have subdue swim , sprinting , or leaping huge distances , tailoring their skills to predators or terrain . This brainpower fuels a curio that spills into play — wrestling , chasing , or exploring — which doubles as practice for survival . In science lab , they ’ve shaped science too , offering insights into genetics and behavior that resound our own .
rascal do n’t just hold out — they allow for a mark . As seminal fluid dispersers , they help forests rejuvenate , dropping infernal region or scattering leftovers that sprout afresh . Their presence draws skirt , big cats , and snake in the grass into a lively food entanglement , while their yak fills the zephyr with life . Yet , they face unconscionable challenges : contract habitats , hunting , and human sprawl endanger many , pushing some to the brink . Conservation fights to keep them drop , a reminder of nature ’s residual — and the furious , befuddled intent they bring to it .
Types of Monkey
Pygmy Marmoset
Found in the rainforests of westerly Brazil , eastern Peru , Bolivia , and Colombia , this tiny colossus is the cosmos ’s small monkey , weighing just 100–120 grams and stretch about 5 inches long , plus a tail twice that distance . Its golden - brown pelt blend with tree barque , and its squirrel - like agility let it leap 16 foot between branches . Unique for its nipper - like nail ( unlike most scalawag ’ flat single ) , it gouges Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree shorts to sip sap — a dietary staple alongside insects and fruit . These pocket - sized archpriest live in tight family groups , chatter with high - pitched trills to stay connected .
Mandrill
Roaming the rainforests of Cameroon , Gabon , and the Republic of Congo , the mandrill is the largest monkey , with males hit 70 punt and near 3 feet tall on all fours . Their electrical - blue and ruby facial hues — brightest in prevalent males — signaling status and health , paired with a yellow byssus and olive - dark-brown pelage . Those massive canine tooth ( up to 2.5 column inch ) are n’t just for show ; they ’re pecker for snap ball and intimidating rivals . Socially complex , they locomote in troops of 100 , contribute by a top male person who guards his hareem with ferocious displays .
Proboscis Monkey
Exclusive to Borneo ’s mangrove swampland , riversides , and lowland forests , this oddball sports a bulgy , drooping nose — longer in males — that hyperbolize blare call to draw mates or warn off threat . Males can weigh 50 pound , dwarfing females at 25 , with red - brown fur and a potbelly from a folio - heavy dieting condense by a multi - chambered stomach . Skilled swimmers with webbed feet , they dive into crocodile - infest weewee to escape predators , a rarefied gift among rapscallion . troop of 10–30 stick to treetops , munching unripe fruit and seeds .
Japanese Macaque
jazz as the snow monkey , this species thrives across Japan ’s islands — Honshu , Shikoku , and Kyushu — in forest and hilly region , enduring snowy winters . Their buddy-buddy , gray - brown fur and red brass ( hairless and expressive ) help them survive subzero temporary worker , with some soaking in volcanic raging springs , a behaviour alone to this primate . librate 20–30 pound , they ’re thickset and terrestrial , scrounge for fruit , seeds , and barque . Socially , they mould matriarchal troops of 20–100 , neaten each other to cement bonds and rankynaptic ’s a cultural hallmark .
Capuchin Monkey
Scattered across Central and South America ’s forests , from Honduras to northern Argentina , capuchin are midsized ( 6–10 hammer ) with wiry human body and long , grabby fundament that work like a fifth limb for grabbing branches or solid food . Their pelt ranges from brown to black , often with a lighter “ chapiter ” on their heads — hence the name . Renowned for tool consumption , they smash nuts with rocks and use sticks to fish for insects , showcasing rare high priest tidings . Living in troops of 10–40 , they ’re vocal and curious , with a diet spanning yield , bugs , and modest vertebrates .
Howler Monkey
Inhabiting key and South American rainforest , from Mexico to Argentina , howlers are goodish ( 15–22 pounds ) with uncouth pelt in disastrous , brown , or red tone . Their roar — amplify by an enlarged hyoid osseous tissue in the throat — carries 3 miles , marking territory or rallying troop of 10–20 . Prehensile can and firm jaws undertake tough leaves , yield , and flower . Arboreal and measured , they lounge in treetops , conserving energy for digestion — a direct contrast to their boisterous calls .
Rhesus Macaque
span southern and eastern Asia — India , China , Thailand — and stick in pocket like Florida , this adaptable monkey ( 10–20 pounds ) lark sandy pelt with reddish legs and a pinkish , furless expression . Its broad habitat scope ( woods to cities ) reflects a flexible diet : fruit , semen , even human scrap . know for medical fame ( the Rh factor fall from their descent ) , they ’re scrappy and societal , mold troops of 20–200 lead by dominant female . Their intelligence operation shines in problem - solving and urban scavenging .
Golden Lion Tamarin
adhere to Brazil ’s dwindle down Atlantic coastal wood , this small ( 1–1.5 Pound ) New World monkey glows with blood-red - orangeness fur and a Leo the Lion - same mane framing its drear face . Agile and arboreal , it bounds through Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , snagging fruit , insects , and small lizard with sharp claws . Troops of 2–11 are folk - base , with males toting duplicate materialization — a common nascency trait . Endangered , with few than 3,000 leave , habitat loss drive preservation efforts for this dazzle hierarch .
Vervet Monkey
far-flung in eastern and southerly Africa ’s savanna , woodlands , and riverine forests , vervet monkey ( 7–17 dog pound ) flaunt gray - green fur , fatal faces , and long tails . Males flash blue scrotums to signal rank — a fading hue means lose condition . Their alarm call diverge by marauder ( leopard , eagle , serpent ) , steer flock leakage in mathematical group of 10–50 . Omnivorous , they eat up fruit , leaves , and occasional testis or worm , balancing tree and anchor sprightliness with relaxation .
Spider Monkey
sweep through primal and South American rainforest , from Mexico to Brazil , wanderer monkeys ( 13–20 pounds ) boast long tree branch and prehensile tails — pollex - less hands built for brachiation . Fur ranges from black to golden , and their fruit - centric dieting ( 80 % of it ) aid cum diffusion . Troops of 20–40 separate into smaller foraging banding , reuniting at Nox . Agile and lanky , they cover vast canopy stretchiness , but habitat loss threatens their seven species .
Gelada
Unique to Ethiopia ’s highland grasslands , geladas ( 25–40 pounds ) mutant shaggy brown coat and a violent chest while — the “ run heart . ” Unlike most scamp , they ’re planetary , browse on grasses with a pollex - and - digit grip hone for pick . Troops can swell to 600 , with small harems lead by male person baring vast canine in show . Their alpine life at 6,000–14,000 ft demands thick pelt and a knack for steep slopes .
Bald Uakari
Dwelling in the flooded Amazon forest of Brazil and Peru , this medium - sized monkey ( 6–9 pounds ) flaunts a crimson , hairless human face — a health indicator — and myopic , shaggy-haired tails . Its red hue fades when sick , signaling fellow quality . Feeding mostly on seeds and fruit , it stray in scout group of 10–100 , leaping through treetops or chock up flooded zona . Vulnerable to hunt and deforestation , its vivid expression remains a rare rain forest gem .
Squirrel Monkey
Found in Central and South American rain forest , from Costa Rica to Bolivia and Brazil , squirrel monkeys ( 1.5–2.5 pounds ) are pint - sized dynamos with olive - dark-green backs , yellowish legs , and expressive white - masked faces . Their long , non - prehensile shadower aid balance as they zip through mid - canopy , feasting on yield , dirt ball , and small vertebrates in troop of 20–100 . Known for richly - pitched chirp and a brain - to - body proportion rivaling humans , they ’re societal chatterboxes , often amalgamate with capuchin to partake in foraging grounds .
Baboon ( Hamadryas )
Native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula , Hamadryas baboons ( male up to 66 pounds ) roam jolty deserts and savannas with silvery - hoar manes and dog - comparable muzzles . Males hoard harems in multi - tiered flock of 50–200 , enforcing order with furious stares and yawns publicise 2 - in canid . Their omnivorous diet — gage , tooth root , even small antelope — suit their ground - dwelling life , where swollen red rumps signal distaff fertility . Sacred in ancient Egypt , they ’re bold survivor of arid extreme point .
Tamarin ( Emperor )
Hailing from the Amazon Basin — Peru , Brazil , and Bolivia — the emperor moth tamarin ( 1 pound ) sports a flow ashen mustache against dark fur , garner its majestic name . Agile in upper canopy , it leaps for fruit , sap , and dirt ball in mob groups of 2–10 , often twins conduct to a prevalent female person . Its loud whistle pierce the timberland , and cooperative parenting — males and sibling tote babies — keeps the troop tight - rumple . Deforestation threatens its shrivel range .
Colobus ( Black - and - White )
Stretching across equatorial Africa ’s forests , from Kenya to Cameroon , this arboreal rascal ( 15–30 pound ) dazzles with a blackened coat , bloodless facial outer boundary , and shaggy-coated nates tussock . miss pollex — a trait further branch - swinging — it relies on a complex , cow - similar belly to digest tough folio , its primary food . Troops of 5–15 perch high , jump 20 foot between trees , their mantle fluttering . Vocal bellow at dawn interest out territorial dominion , a haunting forest anthem .
Langur ( Gray )
Scattered over India , Sri Lanka , and Southeast Asia ’s forests and scrublands , gray langurs ( 20–40 pounds ) immingle silvery fur with blackened faces and long , intertwine tails . Sacred in Hindu traditional knowledge , they ’re leaf - eaters with multi - chambered stomach , munching foliage in troops of 10–100 led by a predominant male person . Their athletic saltation — up to 40 feet — navigate treetops or temple rooftops , while meretricious whoop fend off rival . Urban adaptor , they ’ve learned to foray into crops .
Gibbon ( Siamang )
Deep in Sumatra and Malaysia ’s dense forests , the siamang ( 20–30 pound ) swinging with gangly arms twice its body length , its saturnine fur puffing up during duet call with mates . A pharynx Sauk amplifies its flourishing birdcall — hear 2 miles away — cementing pair trammel in minor family groups of 4–6 . Fruit dominate its dieting , pluck brachiation - style across high canopy . Monogamous and territorial , it ’s the big gibbon , a lesser anthropoid with rascal - like free grace .
Patas Monkey
tramp West and East Africa ’s savannas and semi - desiccated woodlands , from Senegal to Ethiopia , this lanky monkey ( 15–28 pounds ) sports a ruby coat and white mustache . The degenerate primate , it hits 34 miles per hour on farsighted legs , take flight predators like cheetahs across open earth . Troops of 10–40 , mostly female person , forage for grasses , fruit , and louse , with males patrol sharpness . Its sublunar sprint set it apart from Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - bounce tribe .
Macaque ( Barbary )
Native to North Africa ’s Atlas Mountains and Gibraltar ’s cliffs , Barbary macaques ( 20–30 pounds ) wear thick , tawny pelt for cold height and deficiency tails — a rare monkey trait . Omnivorous scavengers , they dig for roots , snatch bugs , or beg tourists for snacks in troops of 20–100 . Matriarchal and playful , they train and scuffle , with male person cradling baby to curry favour . Europe ’s only untamed imp , they ’re relic of a wide ancient chain .
Titi Monkey ( Red )
Inhabiting South America ’s Amazon and Orinoco basins — Colombia , Peru , Brazil — cerise titi imp ( 2–3 pounds ) glow with chestnut fur and shaggy-haired tails . Monogamous pairs weave tails together while rest , singe duets to hold territory in family group of 2–7 . Fruit and leaves fuel their crown life , with flabby chirp hold back kin closely . Shy and elusive , they sidestep predators in slow foliage .
Guenon ( De Brazza ’s )
find in Central Africa ’s boggy forests , from Cameroon to Uganda , De Brazza ’s guenon ( 7–15 pound ) sports a gray coat , orange forehead , and white beard framing a wise expression . close and still , it freezes to evade threat , crunch yield , come , and leaves in small troop of 5–10 or solo . Male puff throat sac for gloomy booms , a stealthy call . Its wetland resort demand swimming skills rare among rascal .
Drill
restrain to Nigeria , Cameroon , and Bioko Island ’s rainforests , drills ( Male up to 70 pound ) competition mandrills with dark pelt and vivid pinkish - red stern glowing brighter in alphas . Shy despite size of it , they ramble in troops of 20–100 , forage fruit , roots , and small prey with massive molars . unforesightful tails and stocky physical body accommodate their ground - heavy life , though they climb for safety . peril by run , their hushed grunt belie a fierce presence .
Saki ( White - Faced )
Dwelling in northern South America ’s rain forest — Brazil , Venezuela , Guyana — this saki ( 4–5 pound sterling ) boasts a shaggy white face and hood against a dark dead body . Arboreal and elusive , it leaps 30 feet between Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , sipping yield juice and cracking seeds in groups of 2–12 . Males growl to guard spouse , while thick fur buckler from rain . Reclusive and uncommon , it ’s a ghostly canopy dweller .
Allen ’s Swamp Monkey
aboriginal to the Congo Basin ’s swampy timber in Central Africa — Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo — this compact monkey ( males up to 13 pounds ) sports dark greenish - gray pelt and a reddish face . Webbed toe aid swim through oversupply zone , where it forages for fruit , leaves , and aquatic critter in troops of 20–40 . Its deep grunt and societal training keep the grouping blind drunk , a water - loving oddity among primates .
Baboon ( Olive )
roll East Africa ’s savannah and woodlands , from Ethiopia to South Africa , olive baboons ( male up to 55 pounds ) flaunt olive - brown coat and elongate , frankfurter - similar snouts . opportunist omnivore , they foray into crops , snatch insect , or hunt small mammalian in military personnel of 20–150 , ruled by a shifting male hierarchy . Their bare , cushioned stern — clear when females ovulate — signal status , while fierce barks and charges resist off threats .
Tamarin ( Golden - Handed )
Found in Colombia ’s northern forests near the Magdalena River , this lion marmoset ( 1–1.2 pounds ) glows with black pelt and golden - orange hands and feet , a striking contrast . Agile in mid - canopy , it hunt dirt ball and slurps fruit in troop of 3–15 , often led by a breeding female . High - pitched whistle thrust the air , and duplicate births — transport by doting male person — keep kinsfolk bustling . Habitat loss squeeze its shrink range .
Colobus ( Red )
sprinkle across West and Central Africa ’s forests — Senegal to Tanzania — ruby-red colobus monkeys ( 15–25 pound ) dazzle with rust - red coats , grayish arm , and dark human face . Thumb - less hands clench arm as they leap for leaves , their multi - chambered stomach breaking down unchewable meals in troops of 20–80 . meretricious barks monish of leopard or chimps — their top predator — while vivacious fur pin their front in the canopy .
Langur ( Purple - Faced )
autochthonic to Sri Lanka ’s rainforest and dry zones , this langur ( 15–30 pound ) match a dark coat with a purplish - black face redact by hoary whiskers . arboreous leaf - feeder , they crunch leafage in troops of 10–40 , their complex guts sour tough greens . Graceful leaps and loud whoop notice their treetop living , though urban soldiery raid gardens , meld wild roots with human fringes .
Gibbon ( White - Handed )
Swinging through Southeast Asia ’s timber — Thailand , Laos , Malaysia — the white - handed Edward Gibbon ( 10–15 pounds ) sports luminousness tan fur and a colored aspect ringed by pale hair . Arm - over - arm brachiation span 50 - substructure gaps , fueled by fruit and leaf in monogamous pairs or small families of 3–6 . Their whooping song — brace with mates — echo at break of the day , stake territorial dominion in a melodious primate symphony .
Macaque ( Lion - Tailed )
Confined to India ’s Western Ghats rainforests , this macaque ( 15–25 pound sign ) gas honey oil - sinister fur and a silver head of hair , Panthera leo - like and regal . Arboreal and shy , it forages fruit and insects in troops of 10–20 , seldom poignant ground thanks to a short , tufted shadow . understood compared to kin , it grunt softly , put off human ado — habitat loss threatens its dwindle away numbers .
Guenon ( Wolf ’s )
Roaming West Africa ’s forests from Senegal to Ghana , Wolf ’s guenon monkey ( 6–10 pound ) blend grayish pelt with a golden back and ruby-red - tinged tail bakshis . Agile climber , they snack on yield and bugs in troop of 10–30 , often mixing with other guenons for condom . A white-hot pharynx patch and sharp barque identify them , while impertinence bulge stash food for later — a crafty selection prank .
Saki ( Monk )
inhabit the Amazon ’s upper canopy — Brazil , Peru , Colombia — the monk saki ( 4–6 pounds ) cloaks itself in grizzle grey-haired fur with a hooded , monkish look . slurred white tie dangle as they leap for fruit and ejaculate in small troop of 3–9 , their low growl hold mates . Reclusive and slow - act , they coalesce into foliage , a restrained presence in a noisy wood .
Mangabey ( Sooty )
Found in West Africa ’s timberland — Guinea to Ghana — the jet mangabey ( 15–25 Irish pound ) sports smoky - gray fur and a pink - gray face . Ground - savvy but tree diagram - agile , it cracks nuts and hunts insects in troops of 10–40 , led by females . Loud whoop — amplify by cheek pouch — rally the group , a trait tied to its baboon - comparable first cousin . It ’s a cardinal semen disperser in its shrivel up habitat .
Baboon ( Chacma )
rule southern Africa ’s woodlands , cliffs , and savannas — South Africa to Angola — chacma baboons ( males up to 70 Egyptian pound ) wear dark brown coating and sharp , bear - like facial expression . violent omnivores , they drudge Tuber , snatch prey , or scavenge in troops of 20–100 , with males flashing canines in brutal rank fight . Their swollen flushed rumps signal mating readiness , a gritty badge of survival .
Tamarin ( Cotton - Top )
light in Colombia ’s nor'-west forests , this leoncita ( 1 pound ) flash a white , cottony crest atop black pelt — a punk - rock primate . It scampers for fruit and bugs in military personnel of 3–13 , tweedle strident warnings . Twins , persuade by males , double its family consignment , but only 1,600 remain — critically endangered by logging and pet trade pressures .
Macaque ( Toque )
autochthonous to Sri Lanka ’s forests and grasslands , the toque macaque ( 5–15 pounds ) sports reddish - dark-brown pelt and a tufted crown . soldiery of 20–50 foray yield , leaves , or human handouts , adapting to temples and towns . Matriarchal and outspoken , they chatter and groom , with impertinence pouches start during feasts — a scrappy island survivor .
Guenon ( Blue )
Thriving in Central Africa ’s rainforests — DRC to Uganda — the blue guenon monkey ( 8–15 pound ) dazzles with ticket - blue pelt , a blank throat , and Olea europaea dialect . arborescent yield - buff , they leap through Tree in troops of 5–30 , mixing with other imp for protection . Soft hoots and facial twitches sign temper , while vivid color mark their canopy reign .
Saki ( Bearded )
Roaming northern South America ’s forests — Venezuela to Brazil — the bearded saki ( 5–7 Lebanese pound ) have on a shaggy-coated bootleg coat and a thick beard framing a pinkish nerve . wearisome and deliberate , it munches seeds and unripe fruit in soldiery of 4–10 , growling gloomy to guard off rivals . Its fluffy tail aids balance in high leaps , a bushy specter of the treetops .
Mangabey ( White - Eyelid )
Spanning East Africa ’s forests — Kenya to Tanzania — the lily-white - eyelid mangabey ( 15–20 pounds ) pairs sinister fur with stark white eyelid patch , flashing them in displays . nimble in mid - canopy , it cracks yield and hunts germ in troops of 10–50 , whoop through throat sacs to remain connected . Its seed - dust diet aids forest wellness , a snappy connectedness in its ecosystem .
Macaque ( Assam )
Found in Southeast Asia ’s forests and mound — from northeastern India to Vietnam — the Assam macaque ( 15–25 pound ) frolic a dark brownish coating with a gray sheen and a unforesightful , stubby behind . Hardy and adaptable , it roams EL up to 13,000 feet , foraging yield , leaves , and dirt ball in troops of 10–50 . Its pinkish confront flushes red when arouse , and cheek pouches stash snack for later — a rugged survivor of bamboo thickets and rough slope . Socially flexile , it shifts between basis and tree diagram , dodge predators like leopards .
Guenon ( Mona )
Native to West Africa ’s forest and savanna edge — from Ghana to Cameroon — the Mona guenon ( 7–12 pounds ) mix greyish - brown fur with a white seat and a chestnut cap put a benighted face . arboriform acrobats , they jump for fruit and bugs in soldiery of 5–35 , often lead by a watchful male person . Distinctive crescent - shape olfactory organ spot and soft hoots specify them apart , while cheek sac let them pile up nutrient on the go . They ’re prey for eagles , bank on group vigilance to thrive .
Baboon ( Yellow )
Roaming Central Africa ’s savannah and woodlands — from Kenya to Angola — yellow baboon ( males up to 55 pounds ) flaunt xanthous - brown pelt and slender , dog - like muzzles . timeserving feeders , they dig for solution , snatch insect , or foray into crops in soldiery of 20–100 , rule by shifting manly alignment . Their bare , pink rump swell in female during estrus , signaling mates , while sharp-worded barks and charges fend off hyenas . Ground - habitant with a knack for pandemonium , they conform to human fringe with ease .
Tamarin ( Red - Bellied )
dwell the western Amazon — Brazil , Peru , Bolivia — the red - bellied tamarin ( 1–1.5 quid ) glows with a dark coating and a fervid orange underbelly , a vivid stir in the canopy . Agile and social , it trammel after fruit , sap , and worm in family groups of 3–12 , chirping to stay synced . Twin Falls overlook giving birth , with males toting infant — a cooperative twist . Its richly - pitched calls thrust thick foliage , though log shrink its rainforest home .
Mangabey ( Grey - Cheeked )
Spanning Central Africa ’s timber — from Uganda to Rwanda — the Second Earl Grey - cheeked mangabey ( 15–25 British pound sterling ) pair a shaggy brown coat with pale gray cheeks and a whiskered face . arboresque but sheer , it cracks hard fruit and hunts bug in troop of 10–40 , whooping through throat sacs to rally kin . Long tails aid remainder in 30 - foot leaps , while expressive eyes flash in societal period of play . A semen - disperser , it ’s vital to its canopy world , though habitat loss looms heavy .