Monkeys of tropical forests. The largest tropical monkey

As is known, the tropics are rich in vegetation. But the wildlife of the tropical forests is no less diverse and beautiful. In this article we want to talk about monkeys living in these parts.

Chimpanzee

I must say that the monkeys of the tropics are quite numerous and diverse. Among them there are very small individuals, and very large ones that exceed human growth, just real giants.

Let's start the conversation with the most intelligent representative of this family. Who do you think will be talked about? Of course, the chimpanzee, which is most famous, due to its learning and understanding. Monkeys climb well, but spend plenty of time on the ground, traveling on foot. They walk on all four limbs, they can overcome up to 50 kilometers per day. This is a large enough distance for such a creature.

But the chimpanzees are still sleeping in the trees, because they feel so much safer. As we said, this is the smartest monkey. Chimpanzee - one of the few animals that can use different instruments. For example, monkeys, dropping a wand in a termite quilt, get out ants in this way and then lick them. Chimpanzees eat practically everything that comes across.

The language of these monkeys consists of a variety of sounds, but for communication they also use facial expressions. Their muzzles can express a variety of emotions, very similar to ours. Typically, a chimpanzee gives birth to a single calf, in very rare cases, two. Child spends his childhood, hanging on his mother, clinging to her hair.

The way the chimpanzee lives

These monkeys live in large communities (from 30 to 80 individuals), which, in turn, are divided into smaller family subgroups. Sometimes animals pass from one group to another, and such migration meets with ecstatic emotions from other animals. Particularly often groups of females change. They behave non-aggressively, peacefully communicating with each other. Males, on the contrary, like to defend their primacy, tearing a small tree from the root and threateningly waving it.

Groups have their own hierarchy. However, the leader is not the strongest male, but rather the cleverest and cleverest. In general, chimpanzees are very peaceful, but at the same time noisy. Quite often in groups quarrels arise because of rivalry between males and even fights in which the strongest wins. It should be noted that chimpanzees have very developed family feelings, even in fights, relatives help each other. Particularly strong are related ties in the relationship between mother and child, they persist for many years, especially between female representatives.

Species of the chimpanzee

The genus of chimpanzees is divided into two types:

1. Chimpanzee dwarfish.
2. Common chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees ordinary reaches 150 centimeters in height, and weighs less than 80 kilograms. Adult individuals are quite strong. Imagine that people on a dynamometer can only squeeze 100 kilograms, and chimpanzees - at least 500. The wool in animals is very tough, maybe dark brown or black.

Such a tropical monkey, like an ordinary chimpanzee, dwells throughout the equatorial belt in the humid tropical forests of Africa (from the shores of the Gulf of Guinea to Tanzania).

In the west of the African continent, dwarf monkeys live . They are at least half the size of ordinary individuals. On the head, the coat is long, with a black face and wide lips. In general, dwarf chimpanzees have a similarity to gorillas, but do not belong to their group.

The largest monkey

What do you think is the biggest and strongest monkey? It's a gorilla. I must say that this is the largest representative of the family. Gorilla has rather large sizes and powerful canines. Outwardly it looks simply terrifying. But this is only the first impression. In fact, this is a kind monkey. Gorilla dwells on the plains of Cameroon, Gabon and Congo, and in mountainous areas in the heart of Africa (Virunga Mountain).

All without exception, monkeys are social animals. For them it is compulsory to stay in a group. So the monkey lives in groups. Ironically, a tropical monkey spends most of its time eating. Gorillas are vegetarians, and therefore their main food is fruits, young shoots and leaves.

The primacy (monkey) begins its day with walks around the nest, while eating grass and leaves. Lunch time is a rest period when gorillas sleep or wander in the forest. In the afternoon, monkeys begin to build nests. It is the leader of the group who chooses the place of rest, usually the strongest male. At the command of the leader all begin construction.

Unfortunately, such a large tropical monkey has now become an endangered species. She is hunted by poachers because of the skull and fur.

Interesting facts about gorillas

Do you know that:

1. The largest tropical monkey is a gorilla.
2. It raises the weight to 980 kilograms.
3. In the wild, only three hundred mountain species remained.
4. The back of the males is silver colored.
5. Cubs and females climb trees, but males usually remain on the ground.
6. In captivity gorilla can live up to 50 years, and in nature the life expectancy ranges from thirty to forty years.
7. The maximum weight of the male is 225 kg, and the female - 100 kg. If you live in captivity, all the indicators increase.

Gorillas are monkeys of the tropical forests of Africa. They live in small groups of up to 30 individuals. Necessarily there is a leader and a couple of females with children. Interesting is the fact that females have offspring once every few years, with only one toddler. He stays with his mother until the next son appears.

Gorillas are peaceful enough. They will soon make menacing grimaces, than they will attack a person. A maximum can bite.

Sometimes males converge in a fight, using their strength. But the females live together, only sometimes quarrel.

As we have already said, monkeys eat plant food. Very fond of celery, bedstraw, bamboo shoots, nettles, nuts and fruits. However, they can also eat insects. Sometimes their diet includes clay, which compensates for the lack of salts in the body. But gorillas do not need to drink, they get the right liquid from food.

Animals do not like rain or water.

Guinean baboons

What do we associate with Africa? Monkeys - this is perhaps the first thing that comes to mind. And this is not accidental, because there are really a lot of them, and the diversity is simply amazing.

In the coastal zone of the Gulf of Guinea live large dog-like monkeys called Guinean baboons. They live in large herds and are serious pests of fields. Monkeys eat those plants that seem to them tasty, and the rest is simply torn out and thrown, thereby causing considerable damage.

It's interesting that they quite close people to themselves, and then they rush to run, issuing menacing sounds to the pursuers. But despite the harm done, in Guinea no one seriously struggles with baboons. Local people are very respectful of animals. And because monkeys consider themselves masters of the situation. The population is only limited to the creation of scaring structures.

Baboons are highly organized animals that live in herds (up to 80 individuals). Together they travel, sleep and eat. In general, live as one family. Of course, the community has its own hierarchy with the domination of males.

During the daytime rest, all related individuals gather near the oldest female. Even at night baboons sleep, embracing with related members of the herd. The largest monkey becomes the leader and keeps this place after him, as a rule, for several years.

Monkey Allen

The amazing continent of Africa. Monkeys are not the only interesting creatures that live here. But it should be noted that there are a lot of them. Apparently this is due primarily to the tremulous attitude of the local population towards them. Although there were times when in Europe a good monkey fur was fashionable. At that time, a large number of individuals were destroyed, the number of which is now in a critical condition.

In Africa, a tropical monkey, the monkey Allen, lives. It can be found in the Congo and Cameroon. It inhabits flooded coastal forests. Monkey is a stocky creature with short, but strong enough limbs. On the cheeks grows a long coat, from which there is a similarity with the lion's mane. Interesting is the fact that on the fore and hind limbs between the fingers there are membranes. And this speaks about the water (partially) way of life. Unlike other monkeys, Monkey Allen is not afraid of water, moreover, she swims remarkably and dives, fleeing from predators. In general, these monkeys live near the water, because they like to sleep and rest near water.

Monkeys are small in size, the height of males is not more than 60 centimeters, and the weight is up to six kilograms. The females are much smaller and weigh only 3.5 kilograms.

Moving monkeys on four limbs. They are very emotional and curious. They feed mainly on the ground or shallow water. The diet includes fish, beetles, worms, leaves, fruits, flowers, roots. With their relatives, monkeys communicate with grunting sounds.

They live in communities in which there can be up to fifty individuals. At one time the female leads one baby. In nature, a monkey lives for about 20 years.

The famous green monkey

Probably the most interesting animals of the tropics are monkeys. In many respects, their behavior resembles the human. What is only their ability to build grimaces, emotionally communicate with relatives. Monkeys of tropical forests prefer moist thickets. But they can settle under certain conditions and in dry places (woodlands). However, a favorite habitat is the places near the rivers. In case of danger, they skillfully hide in the crowns of huge trees. A green monkey can also be found in the mountainous regions of Ethiopia. This is a very small monkey. Males, for example, weigh from three to nine kilograms, and females even less - up to 5.3 kilograms. Animals of both sexes have fangs.

Monkeys lead a daily life. Night is spent on trees. Like all monkeys, the monkey moves on four limbs and on the ground, and on trees. And the movement can very quickly, moving to a gallop, but jumping from tree to tree rarely.

The monkey feeds, as a rule, on the ground with insects, leaves, seeds, small birds and eggs. In the wild, marmosets are harmful to crops of crops, attacking gardens and plantations. This encourages farmers sometimes to hunt them.

The more interesting these tropical monkeys are (photo is given in the article), so this is the internal organization of the family group, which can number more than seventy individuals. I must say that in the herd live only females, males are expelled from society when they reach puberty. And for female individuals in the family group there is a clear hierarchy, under which the daughter will inherit the status of her mother. In general, females like to communicate only with related individuals. Those monkeys that have a higher status, gain privileges when feeding. But they are protected from enemies by the whole herd, in the process participate females and male adolescents who still live in the family.

Monkeys live to the age of twenty.

Monkey Mona

This animal lives in the west of Africa: Ganna, Cameroon, on the island of Sao Tome. It was even brought to the islands in the Caribbean Sea: Nevis, Saint Kees, Grenada. Mona lives in secondary and primary tropical forests, can live in mangrove swamps, on forest fringes and in gallery forests.

Monkey Mona - graceful, thin monkey with long front and back extremities. The length of the trunk in an adult male specimen reaches 63 centimeters, and the female total is 45. The body weight varies from two and a half kilograms to 5.3. Like all monkeys, Mona has a long but not flexible tail, which helps to balance during jumping. But the monkey can not grasp the branches with a tail and hang on them.

Monkeys prefer to live on tops of trees, and can eat and on the lower and middle tier of tree crowns. Mona is an insectivorous and herbivorous animal. The basis of its diet are nuts, fruits, seeds, young shoots. At a convenient opportunity, the monkey consumes snails, wild honey, bird eggs, insects and all sorts of other creatures. I must say that Mona eats more insects than other monkeys. An interesting fact is that she has cheek pouches, which she stuffs during feeding and then takes her stock with her.

Monkey Mona is a very moving day animal, which swims fairly well, while the tail serves as a helm. It is most active in the early morning or after dinner - towards evening.

Monkey monkey lifestyle

Moves through the trees very quickly, balancing with the help of the tail. She runs along branches and twigs, reaches a thin part and makes a jump to another tree. Land on all limbs at the same time. However, not always jumps are successful, monkeys break and fall into the water and to the ground, but this does not harm them. Rising, they climb up the nearest tree and again continue the journey.

Grumming is a kind of close communication between individuals, and not just a hygienic procedure. Monkeys each other clean the fur of insects and dirt. Monkeys have two sounds, issued by them at approach of danger. One means the leopard is approaching, and the other is talking about a pirate predator. In case of danger Mona fades and remains motionless until the situation is normalized.

The monkeys live in groups of up to fifty individuals. In it, as a rule, there are females with their relatives and one male. Under favorable conditions, small groups can be combined into one larger, if there is enough food and there is some benefit in such a partnership. But, as a rule, this is a temporary phenomenon. Almost all monkeys of tropical forests, including Mona, give birth to one baby every few years. Very rarely there can be two cubs. About a year the monkey feeds offspring with milk, and then the grown-up kids switch to solid food. In conditions of captivity, the monkey is able to live up to 23-26 years.

Species diversity of monkeys in the tropics

Highly organized primacy (monkey) has interesting habits, which remotely resembles in some way human behavior. Apparently not for nothing that they are united in one group.

As we have already said, tropical monkeys are quite diverse, they live in Africa so many, that, unfortunately, within the framework of the article it is impossible to tell in detail about all the species. Because at least we list some of them:

1. Baboons, living almost throughout the African continent.
2. The monkey-hussar.
3. The monkey grieves.
4. Bail monkey.
5. Vervetka.
6. Mulbruck.
7. Monkey Diana.
8. The big white-fronted monkey.
9. Small white-haired monkey.
10. The blue one.
11. Gold.
12. Monkey Sykes.
13. Crested.
14. Red-bellied monkey.
15. Yellowtail.
16. Bearded, etc.

And this is not the whole list. All of them are very interesting in their own way, they have their own characteristics and habits. If we talk about monkeys of tropical forests, it should be noted that there are many more different species that live not in Africa, but on other continents. The most famous of them are gibbons living in the mountains and tropical forests of Asia, orangutans (Kalimant and Sumatra islands), langur, nosach and many others.