The Common Squirrel Monkey

The Common Squirrel Monkey

Of all of the monkeys of Amazonas, the Common Squirrel Monkey is the most common, widespread throughout the lowland rain forest. The squirrel monkey is identified by its yellow fore-limbs and white around the eyes. These small monkeys roam around the tree tops in large troops of 20 to 100, at times making an excess of chatter. One usually hears them long before seeing them.

The squirrel monkey feeds on small insects and fruits, and are partial to tearing up flowers to get at the nectar. The preference of the squirrel monkeys is to be near the edge of a river or lake, where there is lots of vegetation with vines and lianas, making it easy for visitors to the Amazon to have an opportunity to see this species in the wild.

The Common Squirrel Monkey can be found in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Paraguay and Venezuela. A small population was introduced to Southern Florida.

Preferring to live in the middle canopy, the common squirrel monkey will occasionally come to the ground or go up into the high canopy.

They like vegetation which provides good cover from birds of prey like the rain forest, savanna, mangroves, or marshlands.

The young of the troop are cared for by other females as well as the mother, but not by any males. Social interactions are centered around a group of dominant females. The Common Squirrel Monkey gives birth to a single offspring. Infants are able to climb from birth and the mother's supporting role is less than with other monkeys.

Squirrel monkey groups are subdivided into adult male bands - adult males intermingle with the females only during the months of mating season -mother-infant bands, this being the core of the group and finally juvenile bands, that roam near the mother-infant bands.

This species is not on the endangered species list.

More in the next edition.