Fact File
Class: Mammal
Order: Primate
Family: Howlers & prehensile tailed monkey
Found: South America
Head to body length: 50cm
Tail length: 75 cm
Weight: 8.8kg
Diet: Herbivore (Plant Eater)
Gestation: 230 days
Conservation Status: CR
Colombian Spider Monkey
Ateles fisciceps robustus
Habitats: This monkey lives in quite a range of different habitats it has been recorded in dry forest, humid forest and cloud forest, as high as 2,500 metres above sea level.
Threats: Due to its large size and the desirability of its meat this spider monkey has been hunted by humans for centuries add to that the fact more than 30% of its habitat has been lost in the last 10 years and we find the population has decreased by 80% and this monkey is hanging on for survival.
Food: Its diet consists of fruits and leaves.
Information: It gets around by semi-brachiation and climbing. The family or group structure is what is described as fission – fusion community. The Colombian spider monkey is diurnal (daytime active) and arboreal (tree dweller).
Range: This monkey lives from south-western Colombia to eastern Panama.
Conservation: Our charity The Wildlife Protection Foundation funds a primate conservation project in Colombia; the “Ecosantafe” Red Howler Monkey Conservation Project. To find out more you can go to http://www.wildlifeprotection.info/
