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Published: 2007-05-22 22:23:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 844; Favourites: 40; Downloads: 5
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Description
Noorderdierenpark, EmmenZoo in the Netherlands
From Wikipedia
SQUIRREL MONKEY
Common Squirrel Monkey, Saimiri sciureus
Linnaeus, 1758
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The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkeys of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.
Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Their range extends from Costa Rica through central Brazil and Bolivia.
Squirrel monkey fur is short and close, colored olive at the shoulders and yellowish orange on its back and extremities. Their throat and the ears are white and their mouths are black. The upper part of their head is hairy. This black and white face gives them their German name, "skull monkeys".
Squirrel monkeys grow to 25 to 35 cm, plus a 35 to 42 cm tail. They weigh 750 to 1100g. Remarkably, the brain mass to body mass ratio for squirrel monkeys is 1:17, which gives them the largest brain, proportionately, of all the primates. Humans have a 1:35 ratio.
Female squirrel monkeys have a pseudo-penis that they use to display dominance over smaller monkeys, much like the way the male squirrel monkeys display their dominance.
Like most of their New World monkey relatives, squirrel monkeys are diurnal and arboreal. Unlike the other New World monkeys, their tail is not used for climbing, but as a kind of "balancing pole" and also as a tool. Their movements in the branches are extremely speedy.
They live together in multi-male/multi-female groups with up to 500 members. These large groups can, however, occasionally break into smaller troops. They have a number of vocal calls, including warning sounds to protect themselves from large falcons, which are a natural threat to them. Their small body size also makes them susceptible to predators such as snakes and felids. For marking territory, squirrel monkeys rub their tail and their skin with their own urine.
Squirrel monkeys are omnivores, eating primarily fruits and insects. Occasionally they also eat nuts, buds, eggs and small vertebrates.
The mating of the squirrel monkeys is subject to seasonal influences. Females give birth to young during the rainy season, after a 150- to 170-day gestation. The mothers exclusively care for the young. Saimiri oerstedti are weaned by 4 months of age, while S. boliviensis are not fully weaned until 18 months old. Female squirrel monkeys reach sexual maturity at age 3 years, while males take until age 5. They live to about 15 years old in the wild, about 20 years in captivity.
Three squirrel monkey species are in danger of extinction. S. o. oerstedti is listed as "endangered," S. o. citrinellus is listed as "critically endangered" and S. vanzolinii is listed as "Vulnerable."
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Comments: 42
webworm In reply to TeaPhotography [2012-09-29 20:18:01 +0000 UTC]
Thank you for letting me know! They are so cute!
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TheScreamingNeedle [2010-08-05 13:26:32 +0000 UTC]
Het aapje van Pipi! Waaaah, super titel. Prachtfoto ook. Erg mooi.
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webworm In reply to TheScreamingNeedle [2010-08-05 18:56:07 +0000 UTC]
Ze zijn ook heel erg leuk!! Dank je wel!
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webworm In reply to vonderwall [2009-05-09 15:13:56 +0000 UTC]
So nice to hear! Thanks a lot!
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prettyfreakjesper [2007-08-20 22:02:28 +0000 UTC]
my hubby is deployed in the philippines right now and they have a "pet" monkey that hangs around them.. this kind of looks like him anyways, i'm a sucker for animal pics and i like how the pic is focused only on the monkey
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webworm In reply to prettyfreakjesper [2007-08-21 12:22:12 +0000 UTC]
When I was young I lived in the far east too and many people had pet monkey's. We had dog's. Monkey's are fun! These ones were running around, never stood still, waited there for a long time to take this shot!
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webworm In reply to prettyfreakjesper [2007-08-21 12:29:49 +0000 UTC]
So you're online now too?!
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prettyfreakjesper In reply to webworm [2007-08-21 12:51:20 +0000 UTC]
haha yep, but i think i'm signing off now.. gotta go get my day started
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webworm In reply to prettyfreakjesper [2007-08-21 12:54:18 +0000 UTC]
Have a wonderful day!!!!
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prettyfreakjesper In reply to webworm [2007-08-21 21:57:45 +0000 UTC]
thanks! it's been good so far
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prettyfreakjesper In reply to webworm [2007-08-22 01:11:33 +0000 UTC]
what is your avatar a pic of? it's so pretty
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webworm In reply to prettyfreakjesper [2007-08-24 23:20:05 +0000 UTC]
It's "The Girl with the earl Earring" of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Its a beautiful painting (quite small for a painting). I love all the work of Vermeer, he is one of my favorite painters, that's why I choose this painting for my avatar.
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prettyfreakjesper In reply to webworm [2007-08-25 04:41:58 +0000 UTC]
ah ok! i knew it was familiar!
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webworm In reply to prettyfreakjesper [2007-08-25 19:26:26 +0000 UTC]
Indeed. He is world famous. Only made 34 paintings, but all of them are beautiful. I'm so lucky to be able to see them in reall life here in Holland.
The Girl is hanging in a museum in The Hague.
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theHardway [2007-08-04 09:32:59 +0000 UTC]
haa.. *runs around* Herr NIlsson!!
I can see why he's named Mister Nilsson
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webworm In reply to theHardway [2007-08-06 21:59:12 +0000 UTC]
H'e..great!!! Thanks for commenting!
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maggymay [2007-06-01 16:30:48 +0000 UTC]
... love the title!!! ...that's fantastic! ...and makes me smile!
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webworm In reply to maggymay [2007-06-02 22:53:29 +0000 UTC]
Thanks!!!! Do you happen to know Mister Nilsson?
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maggymay In reply to webworm [2007-06-05 20:44:32 +0000 UTC]
..Astrid Lindgren...?! ...especially Pippi Langstrumpf! ..
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webworm In reply to mom-the-bomb [2007-06-02 23:30:19 +0000 UTC]
He does!!! I love the golden fur!
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AdamsWife [2007-05-23 22:08:38 +0000 UTC]
Lovely detail in the fur He looks like he's scratching his back.
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webworm In reply to AdamsWife [2007-05-23 22:54:25 +0000 UTC]
It does look like that at first sight, but he is isn't. It's his tail what you see behind his back. They were running around so fast! It was hard to take a sharp picture of one of them.
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MuseSusan [2007-05-23 01:48:34 +0000 UTC]
Oh, he's so cute! I love how you've taken the picture, too, with the light highlighting his fur.
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steelangel [2007-05-22 22:25:55 +0000 UTC]
nice looking primemates - they all turned out great ! groetjes
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steelangel [2007-05-22 22:25:38 +0000 UTC]
nice looking primemates - they all turned out great ! groetjes
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