Common Squirrel Monkey 

Common Name
Common Squirrel Monkey

Species
Saimiri sciureus

IUCN Status
Lower Risk

Common Classification
New World Monkey

Range Countries
Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Habitat
Inhabit primary and secondary moist forests, swamps, mangroves and riverine forests.

Physical Characteristics

• Head and Body length: male – 318 mm (265-370 mm); female – 312 mm (275-370 mm)
• Tail length: male – 409 mm (360-452 mm); female – 405 mm (380-450 mm)
• Weight: male – 554-1150 g; female – 651-1250 g

Distinguishing features
Pink around the eyes, black around the muzzle, white ear tufts, a gray to black crown, arches over the eyes that form a widows peak type point, coat is gray to olive on the back, light orange on the underparts and orange yellow on the feet, hands and forearms.

Diet
Includes snails, crabs, frogs, flies, grasshoppers, caterpillars, butterflies, arachnids and other animal and insect prey.

Behavior
Most active during the day, primarily arboreal, typically form groups of 22 to 42 monkeys but have been reports exist of 500 individuals traveling together, females stay in natal groups while males may transfer to other groups, males do not help rear offspring, dominance hierarchy among males.

Threats
Habitat alteration due to the expansion of development and beef production.

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