Gray woolly monkey

Gray woolly monkey ( Lagothrix cana )

The gray woolly monkey ( Lagothrix cana ) is a living primate in South America from the family of peg-tail monkeys ( Atelidae ). He is one of four species in the woolly monkeys are divided into younger classifications.

Features

Gray woolly monkeys are like all woolly monkeys rather stocky built primate with powerful limbs and a long tail. The body length is about 50 centimeters, the tail is slightly longer than the body and is designed as a prehensile tail. The weight varies 7-9 kg, with males slightly heavier than females. The dense, woolly fur is predominantly gray colored, the head, hands and feet are black. The head is rounded, the ears are small.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution of gray woolly monkeys comprises the western Brazil south of the Amazon, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia, they have the most southerly distribution area of all the woolly monkeys. Their habitat is forests, they come in both low-lying rainforests as well as in mountain forests up to 2500 meters above sea level before.

Way of life

These primates are diurnal and usually stay in the trees, mostly in the upper crown layer on. They are clever, but rather slow climbers, both on all fours as may move swinging hand over hand also. They set the prehensile tail as a fifth limb. They live in large groups, take the huge home ranges (up to 1000 hectares) to complete. The territories of different groups overlap, they generally respond less aggressively to group foreign animals.

Their diet consists mainly of fruits, besides they take leaves and other plant parts, and occasionally small animals to be.

After an approximately 225 - day gestation, the female gives birth to usually a single young is born. This is nursed for a year.

Endangering

Main threat to the horror woolly monkey is the hunting, on the one hand for their meat, on the other hand because boy are made to pet animals, which is usually associated with the death of the mother. In addition, also the destruction of their habitat through deforestation and mining hazards represents the IUCN lists the species as " critically endangered " ( endangered ).