Comments On: Extremely Weird Primates

Mini Mouse by Sally Blakemore
Gray Lesser Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus)
Primates! If some monkeys threw a pimate party, the invitation list would include bush babies, sakis, monkeys, apes, chimpanzees, and you and me. What do we all have in common? Flexible hands with grasping fingers (usually with ten digits), relatively large brains, and a tree-dwelling life- style at some point in our evolution. Of course, you would have some extremely weird dancing partners. Certain primates sport blue cheeks or red rear ends, while others wear punk hairdos. And they range several ounces to more than 500 pounds. Watch out for in size from your toes!
Mouse lemurs are pocket-sized critters, one of the world's smallest primates. They're also one of the oldest: their ancestors were among the very first primates on earth.
Mouse lemurs have a sweet tooth for fruit and honey, and insects are a favorite food. When eating beetles and grasshoppers, lemurs bite the soft belly of the bug first and make noisy smacking sounds. Lemurs are active during the day or night, depending on their species. To communicate with each other, lemurs chirrup, chatter, and even yodel from the tree of their choice.
Not all lemurs are tiny. In fact, they vary from rat to cat size. There are about 20 different types of lemurs, and they all live on Madagascar, a big island off the coast of Africa.
Ancient Romans believed the spirits of their dead roamed the night staring at the living with round glowing eyes and crying sadly. They called those ghosts "lemurs."
Sifakas are closely related to lemurs. Island natives believed these animals were sacred sun worshipers because they dse early to sunbathe in the trees.
The Prosimians may sound like a group of musicians or a football team, but they actually make up the largest group of primates. Prosimians look a lot like their primitive ancestors. Members of this group include lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers. Brad and Trouble
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Pop-eye, the Prosimian by Sarah Lovett
Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)
What is forty million years old, has huge saucer eyes, a hairy nose, and pop eyes in the back of its head? What else? A tiny tarsier. Actually, a tarsier's eyes are located on either side of its nose, just like human eyes. But tarsiers can swivel their necks 180 degrees so they can see who's sneaking up from behind. Gotcha!
These mighty mini-animals are among the smallest of all monkey species. They weigh about 4½ ounces, about the size of a guinea pig. Babies are mouse-sized, and they cling to their mothers from birth, chirping noisily. When they're in a hurry, mothers also carry their babies by mouth, just like cats do, or they plop them on a handy branch when they go hunting.
Tarsiers are mighty leapers and can jump from tree to tree in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia where they live. Grown-up tarsiers can leap long distances and land on their two hind feet. In midair, they keep arms and legs close to their bodies and use their tails to steer. When they come down to earth, tarsiers leap like frogs.
When they're not jumping, they're often grooming fellow tarsiers. For primates, grooming means more than removing ticks, mites, and dirt. It's a way of learning who's who in the social order of a primate group.
When native headhunters of Borneo went on the warpath, it was bad luck to spot a tarsier. Hunters believed It meant they would lose their own heads because tarsiers can swivel theirs.
When tarsiers are excited, their big ears don't stop moving. In fact, they move in two diredions at once: while one ear turns forward, the other turns back.
Tarsier eyes are largest in proportion to their body size of all primates. If human eyes were proportionately as pop-eyed, we would be looking at the world through grapefruitsl Jumbo eyes!
Each eye is about the same size as the tarsier's brain. They use their big eyes to hunt insects anel lizards at night. These are the only primates who restrict their diet to live prey. Brad and Trouble
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Am I Blue by Sarah Lovett
White-fated Saki (Pitheca pilheca)
The dot-eyed white-faced saki wears a woebegone expression under its shaggy hood of hair. This shy and sensitive New World monkey makes its home in the highest trees of South Amencan forests. There, it can stride along thin branches like a tightrope walker, standing tall, hands held out for balance, and fingers spread. A saki is quickest when it moves on all fours and leaps from branch to branch.
If sakis stand on two feet and shake their fur, watch out. That's a good sign these monkeys are upset.
When it's time to sleep at night, white-faced sakis cats among the branches. To reach fruit, berries, and leaves some types of sakis hang by their hind feet and munch contentedly.
Sakis come with a few variations: there are very hairy ones, and some with beards and red noses. These are animals who need plenty of space, privacy, and trees.
Sakis don't mind getting their feet wet, but their beard is another matter. To drink from streams, sakis often dip their hands into water and then lick their wet fur.
New World monkeys live in South and Central America. Some have prehensile tales that can reach and grab like a third arm. None have tough "sitting pack" on their rear ends like Old World monkeys. Brad and Trouble
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Weird Wah-CAR-ee by Sarah Lovett
White Uakari (Cacajao calvus)
With naked pink faces and ears, stumpy tails, and wispy hair, uakaris are the weirdest of the weird-looking. Large troops of uakaris roam the branches of the Brazilian rain forest where they spend almost all their time. When the rainy season floods the jungle floor, they don't even touch ground to gather fallen fruits. These cat-sized animals are the only short-tailed monkeys in the Americas. Although their six-inch tails aren't very impressive, uakaris do have long, furry fingers and toes.
Uakaris are often quiet, but they can communicate with loud, hysterical-sounding shrieks, almost as if they're laughing. They are playful, like many monkeys, and the young make up games to amuse themselves.
At one time, native hunters in South American rain forests used blow darts, poisoned with the mucous of frogs, to catch uakaris. When the dart struck its target, the monkeys were paralyzed and fell from the trees. Hunters would sometimes use salt to counteract the poison. Baby uakaris were often kept as pets, but adults were eaten.
In the Middle Ages, physicians dissected the bodies of monkeys so they could learn more about human anatomy. In those days, dissecting a human body for medical purposes was stridly against the rules.
Captive primates can be more aggressive than their relatives in the wild. That's because they are forced to live in small spaces and compete for food. Human primcees in big cities are usually more aggressive and grumpy than their country cousins. Brad and Trouble
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Monkey Busniess by Sarah Lovett
Black-handed Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)
Spider monkeys, who are found in southern Mexico, through Colombia, Venezuela, and the Amazon Basin, are swinging superstars able to travel in jungle treetops using sure-grip fingers and toes, long arms and legs, and a grabby tail. Spider monkey tails are prehensile, a fancy word for grasping that rhymes with "utensil." Tails come in handy to keep monkeys from falling out of trees when they're asleep. They also keep food and other monkeys within a tail's length, which is longer than an arm's length.
Black-faced, with flesh-colored goggles and white-rimmed eyes, spider monkeys travel in troops of up to 25 individuals. During the day, they search for fresh fruit and nuts. These monkeys are very picky about the fruit they eat. They pinch, sniff, and taste the goods just like some very particular human shoppers.
Spider monkeys must always be on the alert for hungry predators like eagles and jaguars. When threatened, they will scratch their fur nervously and bark like a dog. They will also break off branches (some weighing as much as 10 pounds) and drop them on whoever lurks below.
What's in a name? Spider monkeys are so named because of their long spidery limbs and tail. Also, their knobby joints stick up when they're scurrying along branches so they resemble arachnids with five legs instead of eight!
A spider monkey's tail is so sensitive, it can pick up a peanut.
When rain forest natives went hunting with poison darts, many spider monkeys didn't fall out of frees after they were shot. That's because they were so firmly affached to branches by hands, feet, and tail. Brad and Trouble
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I'm a monkeys blue butted uncle
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Punk Monkeys by Sarah Lovett
DeBrazza 's Guenon (Cercopithecus neglectus)
Spiked, buzzed, and streaked, guenons are some of the flashiest and punkiest monkeys in Africa! They use their colorful faces, as well as head movements, to spot their own kind and to communicate. An up-and-down jerk of the head may mean keep away, while a yawn says, "I'm the boss:" Guenons send messages in living color, too. One type of guenon sports a blue mask around its eyes. When it gets excited, the mask turns even bluer-because there's more blood circulating. Of course, humans change colors, too. Some people turn very pink when they're embarrassed.
Guenon monkeys come in a rainbow of colorful designs. Some have blue bottoms, red stripes, red ears, and speckled fur. Others are green with red tails. Or wear yellow whiskers or a white oval nose spot. Some have beards, and others have great tufts of hair on their heads.
With puffy cheeks, white chin whiskers, a white upper lip and throat, an orange-patched forehead, a black mane, and black arms and legs, the DeBrazza's are the most colorful of all guenon monkeys. They gallop on all fours, with their tails held proudly in the air like flags. These fruit, nut, and insect gourmets live in the rain forests of the African Congo.
Thumbs up! DeBraua's babies suck their thumbs lust like human babies.
Guenons spend much of their time in a forest of trees, leaping limb to limb. But they do come down to search for jumpy critters like crickets and grasshoppers, their favorite snack.
Old World monkeys, like the guenons, live in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Malay Archipelago. They have tough pads (like calluses) on their rumps so they can sleep sitting up in trees. Brad and Trouble
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All in the Family by Sarah Lovett
Sulawesi Crested Macaque (Macaca nigra)
On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, 10- pound to 25-pound monkeys the color of ebony, with crested hair and pink padded rumps, raise their families peacefully.
At first glance, it's easy to mistake a crested macaque for a baboon. They both walk on all fours, and their pointy skulls are shaped with the same thick protruding eyebrows. But crested macaques are quieter and more easygoing than their baboon relatives.
No one is really sure how the crested macaque first came to the island of Sulawesi. Some say they traveled from the Philippines long, long ago. Now, the crested macaque has only one home, Sulawesi.
To see how important opposable thumbs are, try climbing a tree or picking fruit without using your thumbs!
Some native tribes on Sulawesi worship the crested macaque because they believe these primates are their ancestors. When they fill river rafts with food and set them adrift, they are paying homage to the gods of the apes.
Sulawesi crested macaques look a little like cone heads. As these primates grow older, their hair stands straighter and pointier. If they get excited, it really stands up! Brad and Trouble
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Dear Brad , you seam to know alot about monkeys maybe you can suggest the best breed for a pet. I had a pigtail macque and loved her alot. Have looked into a talapon but can't find a breeded. I understood their is a colony of them at the university ofL.A or california and they sell some from time to time to raise funds. Do you know anything about this??? if you have any information on this breed let me know thanks

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Dear Brad , you seam to know alot about monkeys maybe you can suggest the best breed for a pet. I had a pigtail macque and loved her alot. Have looked into a talapon but can't find a breeded. I understood their is a colony of them at the university ofL.A or california and they sell some from time to time to raise funds. Do you know anything about this??? if you have any information on this breed let me know thanks

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Dear Brad , you seam to know alot about monkeys maybe you
can suggest the best breed for a pet. I had a pigtail
macque and loved her alot. Have looked into a talapon but
can't find a breeded. I understood their is a colony of
them at the university ofL.A or california and they sell
some from time to time to raise funds. Do you know
anything about this??? if you have any information on this
breed let me know thanks

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Dear Angel, I live in NH one of the states where it is illegal to own a monkey as a pet. So from that vantage point I wouldn't know any breeders near here. Trouble is a grandfather monkey. We got him before the state of NH change their laws. There are a few states that would like to follow suit. California I believe is also a unfriendly Pet Monkey State. I recommend if you are serious about getting another monkey to check out http://www.simiansociety.org. especially the frequently asked questions. Monkeys do not make the best choice as a pet. Having had a pigtail you must be aware of the down points of having a monkey as a pet. I don't mean to say pigtail per-say but all monkeys. Trouble is a Spotnose guenon also an Old World monkey like yours was. If you would like to correspond further with me the best way to reach me is RNTF34A@prodigy.com. E-mail me and I'll e-mail you a picture of Trouble. Brad and Trouble
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The Duke by Sarah Lovett
Langur (pygathrix nemaeus)
As regal as Asian royalty, the douc langur lives quietly and peacefuily in the rain forests of Vietnam and Laos. This unusual and beautiflil primate looks at the world through dark, almond eyes. Its soft, glossy fur, colorful markings, and white beard add to its mysterious appeal.
The Vietnamese word for monkey is douc (pronounced "duke"). Sadly, these monkeys are in danger of becoming extinct. The Vietnam War can be blamed for many of their woes. Bombs and chemical weapons destroyed much of their homeland, and soldiers living in the jungles hunted them for meat. War causes so much suffering for humans, sometimes we forget that thousands of other living creatures are also harmed.
To learn about primates, find a group that you con observe for six hours. Sit quietly watching. (Of course, youll have to take breaks now and then!) You'll see how smart they are, who's in command, who's friendly and who's not. In the wild, primates can avoid conflict because they have room to move. In zoos, they must learn to live together. How would you survive if you had to live in a cage with a bunch of strangers?
The white-headed langur was discovered in 1952 In a rain forest in China. Now, only a few hundred of these monkeys remain, and they llve on just 200 square miles of forest. They are hunted locally and eaten as a health tonic. There are many wildlife conservation groups working to save endangered primates all over the world. Joining a conservation group is one way you can help. Brad and Trouble
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Orange Aid by Sarah Lovett
Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans are "great apes:' Because of their anatomy and their mental capacities, they are the most humanlike of all animals. In fact, they are our closest relatives. Among this group, the orangutan is the only true tree-dwelling ape.
The orangutan, which sports a shaggy reddish mop, naked ears, mobile lips, and woeful eyes, lives quietly in the trees of the rain forests of Borneo and Sumatra. Although orangs are big--adult males may weigh 200 pounds and females about 90--they are hard to spot in the high branches. Scientists used to think these "shy" orangutans were antisocial, but now they know better.
Orangutans have social relationships very much like other apes, only their interaction moves in slow motion. Although adult male orangutans do lead very solitary lives, adult females keep each other company, adolescents (like human teenagers) love to hang out with their peers, and mothers are devoted to their babies.
An orang mother will nurse, cuddle, and clean her baby. She washes it with rain water and trims its fingernails with her teeth. Just like a human infant, a baby orangutan is helpless and cries when it is cold or hungry or tired. A baby orangutan gestates in its mother's womb for almost eight months. Young orangs sometimes nurse as long as three years. While nursing their young, adult females cannot get pregnant. That means a female orangutan might have five babies in her 40-year lifetime, but because many baby orangs die in the wild, only two or three will survive.
Although orangutans are now protected by law, they are still in dan ger of becoming extinct because much of their habitat is disappearing through human activities like logging and farming.
When standing, an orangutan's arms can reach its ankles. Some orang's arms have an eight-foot spread!
In the Malayan language, the word omugutan means "forest man." Orangutans are creatures of the jungle, where their only enemy is man.
When captive orangutans are rescued, they must take a course on jungle survival before they are returned to the wild. Many captive orangs were just babies when their parents were killed and they were kidnapped. There are a few special programs where young orangutans relearn their roots.
Orangutans don't know how to swim, but they're not afraid of water, and they will wade across deep streams and rivers.Brad and Trouble
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Brad I am very interested in a nother monkey I would like to find one that is bigger than a Marmoset but still has the wonderful disposition when it is an adult could you please email me if you know of one. Thank you
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Brad I am very interested in a nother monkey I would like to find one that is bigger than a Marmoset but still has the wonderful disposition when it is an adult could you please email me if you know of one. Thank you
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Dear Cheryl and others, I can not respond to your e-mail if it is not included in the note itself. I realize that before you post your note it asks for your e-mail which is not neccessary to post a note. I do not own or run this website so that informationn does not come to me unless you put it in the note itself I can not e-mail you. If you do not want to include your e-mail address in your note you can e-mail me personally at rntf34a@prodigy.com. Trouble will try to respond as quickly as he can.:-)
I can tell you that being in a pet monkey unfriendly state I am not in the possition to offer information where to purchase a monkey. But any other help needed concerning our primate firends I will try to find the information for you. Brad and Trouble
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its good

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YOUR LETTERS ARE ALL GREAT I LOVED THEMM I ALSO LOVE MONKEYS THEY ARE SO LOVABLE AND ADORABLE THERE MY FAVORITE ANIMAL IN THE WHOLE WORLD THERE SO CUTE I WOUNDER IF THEY THINK AND TALK AND DO STUFF LIKE WE DO? I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CUTE MONKEY I WOULD BE SO EXETED I WOULD DIE.
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Little Genius by Sarah Lovett
Pygmy Chimpanze. (Pan paniscus)
Pygmy chimps live only in the tropical rain forests of Zaire, Africa. These animals weigh in at 80 to 100 pounds, while regular chimpanzees are about 10 pounds heavier. All chimpanzees, from the lowland forests to the grasslands of equatorial Africa, are endangered because of human activities. Chimps are hunted for food and sport and trapped for medical research. The United States, Japan, and Europe are the main purchasers of captive chimps even though most trade is illegal!
When genes of chimps and humans are compared, it's clear that we are blood cousins. Of all the great apes, chimps are closest to humans in behavior. Chimps use tools. In the wild, they gather small sticks to search for termites and use crumpled leaves for sponges. In captivity, they've learned to open locks with keys, pound nails with hammers, wash and brush their hair, and answer a ringing phone and say, "Boo:"
When scientists test their intelligence, chimps rate well. These animals are outgoing, curious, and willing to please. Chimpanzees have even learned to say words like "mama" and "cup" and to use them correctly. Generally, scientists say chimps are smart but not as smart as humans. But what do scientific tests of great apes really prove?
If you were caught by a group of apes and sent to Africa to live in a tree, how "smart" would you be? How would you know which plants to eat without getting sick? Could you follow a scent trail with your nose? Would you be able to communicate with your captors? After all, it's not easy to measure intelligence.
When captive chimps are given a pencil and paper and begin to draw, move over, Picasso! In 1971, a chimp named June had a one-chimp show at an art gallery in Chicago. Years earlier, two chimps, Congo and Betsy, had their work displayed at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London.
Chimps are capable of a wide array of emotions. They hug, kiss, and hold hands with their chimp friends. And they express other emotions just like humans do. When they're thoughtful, angry, happy, or afraid, chimps and humans make similar foces. When sad, a chimp looks like a crying child-except chimps can't shed tears. Brad and Trouble

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Primates Are Us by Sarah Lovett
Humans (Home sapiens)
Humans are primates. In fact, we belong to the same primate group as apes do, and most scientists believe we shared a common ancestor who roamed the earth about 20 million years ago. But humans are special--at least we think we are. Why?
Because we're smart? True, humans have great brain power, but our big brains are only a few hundred thousand years old, and apes aren't far behind us. Even though they don't have a formal language, apes can learn from experience and make logical decisions, they understand abstract ideas, and they make and use simple tools that help free them from the limits of their environment.
Because we re curious? As humans, we always try to find new and "better" technology. This quality has been crucial to our own evolution as a species. But many animals are curious. Chimpanzees, especially. And some scientists believe that human ''curiosity'' is very primitive because we make things just because we can-- without thinking if we really should.
Because we appreciate art? Humans do create wonderful works of art. We write symphonies, we sing the blues, we paint murals, and we build cathedrals. But drawings by primates are much like drawings by human children. And just as some kids grow up to become famous artists, the art of non- human primates will also evolve over time. There are already famous chimpanzee artists.
Because we love beauty? Chimpanzees have been known to spend 15 minutes observing a beautiful sunset!
Let's face it, nonhuman primates are special! Sadly, as they become extinct, humans are learning about habitat balance. If we cannot make room for these wonderfiil creatures, how can we ourselves survive? We humans are most special when we work together to solve the problems we've created on planet earth.
Are we afraid to believe that we are a lot like the great apes? Stories about the beast hidden inside humans (like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) have always been popular ..... and scary! Many people get very upset when scientists say that humans and apes had a common ancestor long ago. Perhaps that's because humans tend to project their own worse side on others. When you think about war, pollution, and crime, the great apes should be afraid to be like humans!
Nonhuman primates are a human's best friend. They were rocketed into space before human astronauts ever looked down at planet earth. Scientists use monkeys to learn how diseases are passed from human parents to their children. A monkey aided in the discovery of human blood types. And when scientists study nonhuman primate behavior, they gain insight into our human behavior. Brad and Trouble
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Where can I purchase a chimpanze.
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hi there i've been tryin to get in touch with brad counld you please ask him to email me thank you.monkey's are great.macaques are better.
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I am a student and doing a research project on red uakaris I would really appreciate any info that any one reading this might have you will please respond before february 17. thank you very much for any information u might have .

-Kyn
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Hi!
I'm a student from Russia. I study the behaviour of chimpanzees in Kaliningrad ZOO. In this year I am studing the chimp's drawings. If you can get me some information about it, I'll be greatefull for you.

More about my studing at www.enet.ru/~zoo

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hey, if you have giv'n up on having neat material things, and don't mind a few but often broken objects, then a non-human primate might just be the companion for you. don't give up hope, but you may have to give up a few friends.
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Hello! do you know about the Virvit Monkeys?
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Pleas ansuwer as soon as possable!!!
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I was so grateful for the information on your pygmy Chimpanzees. I had a report to do that was due the next day and as soon as i found your page I was bank! Thanks Alot
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This may seem like a silly question, but do monkey's have umbilical cords like humans? If yes, then how do they detach the baby from it when its born?
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Brad, are there any chimps found in colombia? JUDY
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Yoir wedsite is realley goot.
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where can I purchase a cappuchian monkey. please answer soon!
dl.gray@home.com
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where can I purchase a cappuchian monkey. please answer soon!
dl.gray@home.com
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Where can I purchase a tarsier?
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