Squirrel Monkey Factfile
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Scientific Name : Saimiri bolivensis
World Distribution
Squirrel monkeys live in Brazil, eastern Peru and Bolivia.
Habitat
They live in tropical rainforest, spending almost all of their time in the trees. They tend to live in the middle part of the forest canopy, rather than at the very top like the spider monkeys.
Feeding
They eat fruit and insects. Their sharp, narrow teeth are well suited for biting insects. They have good eyesight and colour vision like ours, so they can easily spot coloured fruits amongst the green leaves.
Predators
Although any of the larger predators in the S. American rainforest would eat a squirrel monkey if they could catch one, their main enemies are hawks and eagles.
Breeding
Squirrel
monkeys usually live in large groups, and will mate with different group members
rather than choose just one partner. The mothers look after the babies, helped
by any females in the group who do not have a baby of their own. All births
take place at around the same time.
The babies cling to their mother's fur and travel around with them as soon
as they are born.
Female squirrel monkeys are fully grown and ready to breed when they are 2-3 years old, but males do not breed until they are 3-4.