Where do monkeys live in nature? Primate squad: classification, characteristics, signs, range and conservation status Where does the red great monkey live

Man is very interested in the life of monkeys. Still would! Not only are there rumors in the scientific world about her involvement in the human race, but the habits of primates resemble people. Sometimes it seems that these animals are almost as intelligent as we are. Where do monkeys live?

What country do monkeys live in?

There are more than four hundred species of primates in the world. The best known are the humanoids. In nature, there are monkeys with a body length from nine centimeters to one hundred and eighty. Mostly primates lead an arboreal lifestyle. They keep in small groups. Support daily activity. These are omnivorous animals. The tendency to herbivory or carnivory depends on the habitat, the type of monkey and the time of year.

Since there are a lot of primate species and, sometimes, they are quite distant from each other, we will consider the habitats of primate families. From zoology, we only recall: genera are distinguished within families, and species within a genus.

Chaintails, or capuchins

The most numerous variety, in which eleven genera are distinguished (howler monkeys, jumpers, saki, woolly, squirrel monkeys and others).

Chain-tailed monkeys are small to medium-sized higher primates. All members of the capuchin family have a long tail covered with hair. In some species, this part of the body is capable of touch. The front part of the head is shortened, the nostrils are well separated from each other, the eyes are large with developed eyelids. The hairline of capuchins is one-color, rather thick.

Chain-tailed monkeys are good at jumping and running through trees. They feed mainly on vegetation. But they also eat insects, bird eggs and other small animals. The forelimbs are used to obtain food. Their muzzle is able to express emotions.

The distribution range of capuchins is South America east of the Andes (from 27 degrees south latitude), Argentina north through Central America to 23 degrees north latitude in Mexico.

Monkeys

The family includes eight genera (macaques, proboscis, baboons, mangabeys and others). They have small and medium sizes. Some species have a tail, some do not. The physique of the monkeys is also different: from graceful and light to rather heavy.

The forelimbs are slightly longer than the hind limbs. The hairline is usually long and silky. The entire body is covered with wool, excluding the ischial part, face, soles and hind limbs.

Monkeys live in various places: jungles, open plains, mangrove swamps, rocky places. Almost all members of the family lead an arboreal lifestyle, macaques are terrestrial and arboreal, baboons are terrestrial. Monkeys are diurnal animals. At night, they nest on rocks, trees, or in caves.

The distribution area covers Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa (where lions live). On the European continent, they are found only in Gibraltar.

Arms

A family with only one species. Monkeys are small in size, have an elongated, slender body, a rounded head with a shortened facial region. The coat is coarse, dark brown or black.

Arms live in forests, bamboo thickets and mangroves. They lead mainly an arboreal lifestyle. They support nocturnal activity, and during the day they sleep in hollows or tree crowns. The main diet is insects and their larvae.

Habitat: Madagascar. The species is very small, therefore it is listed in the Red Book.

Tarsiers

The family is represented by one genus and two species. This is a transitional species between lemurs and lower apes. Distinctive features:

small size (from 28 to 40 cm, tail - from 6 to 27 cm);
maximum weight - 150 g;
large, very mobile head (it can turn almost 180 degrees);
short muzzle;
huge, bulging eyes that do not fit into the cranial orbit;
strongly developed calcaneal department;
velvety wool of a grayish or reddish-brown hue;
long, rod-shaped tail with a brush at the end;
feed on animals (insects, small vertebrates, lizards, birds and their eggs).

Habitat - Southeast Asia. Moreover, each species occupies certain islands of the Philippine, Malay and Sunda archipelagos. Tarsiers choose hard-to-reach jungles.

Dwarf lemurs

The maximum size of these monkeys is 460 g. Species living in the eastern rainforests have a reddish-brown hue, in the western dry forests they have a gray back. Dwarf lemurs live in all types of forests on the island of Madagascar.

These are nocturnal animals that prefer an arboreal lifestyle. Dwarf lemurs build globular nests from leaves or use natural voids in trees. The main diet is fruits and vegetables.

Gibbon

Characteristic features of the family:

body length - from 45 to 90 cm;
weight - 8-13 kg;
graceful body with strongly elongated forelimbs;
there is a small ischial callus;
thick hairline;
the color varies from black or brown to cream or whitish.

Gibbons live in dense tropical forests. They prefer an arboreal lifestyle. The main food is leaves and fruits.

The distribution area occupies Assam, Burma, the Indochina Peninsula, Hainan, Thailand, Tenasserim, the Malay Peninsula, the islands of Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Mentawai.

anthropoid

There are small, medium and large sizes. They don't have a tail. The minimum weight is five kilograms, the maximum is three hundred. Massive build, long forelimbs and short hind limbs. Rounded head with a prominent facial region. Well developed brain.

Humanoids are inhabitants of tropical forests. They are diurnal, most of which they spend in trees. Distribution area - Southeast Asia and adjacent islands, Equatorial Africa.

galago

These nocturnal animals are active jumpers. They feed on fruits, fruits and invertebrates. Galago live only in Africa, but in various territories: from dry places with thorny bushes to tropical forests.

Marmosets

The smallest of the higher primates. Very mobile tree monkeys. They are active during the day and sleep in tree cavities at night.

The main diet is insects, birds, juicy fruits and seeds. They are distributed mainly in South America. Found in Colombia, Panama, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador.

How long do monkeys live?

Life expectancy in different families of primates is different. So, chain-tailed lived in captivity up to twenty-five years (about as long as tigers live). The life expectancy of monkeys in captivity is thirty to forty years. Arms, on the other hand, managed to live only up to nine years.

Tarsiers in captivity survive with difficulty, do not breed. Life in the wild lasts up to twelve years. Most of the species in this family are now extinct. The main threat is habitat destruction. Extinction also threatens pygmy lemurs. Today these animals are listed in the Red Book.

The maximum lifespan of a gibbon in captivity is twenty-three years. But humanoids are long-livers. Life expectancy in captivity is forty-six years. Unfortunately, the number of anthropoids in their natural habitat is rapidly declining. The result of human persecution is ten thousand gorillas and two and a half thousand orangutans.

What country do monkeys live in?

Chaintails, or capuchins

The most numerous variety, in which eleven genera are distinguished (howler monkeys, jumpers, saki, woolly, squirrel monkeys and others).

The distribution range of capuchins is South America east of the Andes (from 27 degrees south latitude), Argentina north through Central America to 23 degrees north latitude in Mexico.

Monkeys

The forelimbs are slightly longer than the hind limbs. The hairline is usually long and silky. The entire body is covered with wool, excluding the ischial part, face, soles and hind limbs.

The distribution area covers Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa (where lions live). On the European continent, they are found only in Gibraltar.

Arms

A family with only one species. Monkeys are small in size, have an elongated, slender body, a rounded head with a shortened facial region. The coat is coarse, dark brown or black.

Habitat: Madagascar. The species is very small, therefore it is listed in the Red Book.

Tarsiers

The family is represented by one genus and two species. This is a transitional species between lemurs and lower apes. Distinctive features:

small size (from 28 to 40 cm, tail - from 6 to 27 cm);
maximum weight - 150 g;
large, very mobile head (it can turn almost 180 degrees);
short muzzle;
huge, bulging eyes that do not fit into the cranial orbit;
strongly developed calcaneal department;
velvety wool of a grayish or reddish-brown hue;
long, rod-shaped tail with a brush at the end;
feed on animals (insects, small vertebrates, lizards, birds and their eggs).

Habitat - Southeast Asia. Moreover, each species occupies certain islands of the Philippine, Malay and Sunda archipelagos. Tarsiers choose hard-to-reach jungles.

Dwarf lemurs

These are nocturnal animals that prefer an arboreal lifestyle. Dwarf lemurs build globular nests from leaves or use natural voids in trees. The main diet is fruits and vegetables.

Gibbon

Characteristic features of the family:

body length - from 45 to 90 cm;
weight - 8-13 kg;
graceful body with strongly elongated forelimbs;
there is a small ischial callus;
thick hairline;
the color varies from black or brown to cream or whitish.

Gibbons live in dense tropical forests. They prefer an arboreal lifestyle. The main food is leaves and fruits.

The distribution area occupies Assam, Burma, the Indochina Peninsula, Hainan, Thailand, Tenasserim, the Malay Peninsula, the islands of Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Mentawai.

anthropoid

Humanoids are inhabitants of tropical forests. They are diurnal, most of which they spend in trees. Distribution area - Southeast Asia and adjacent islands, Equatorial Africa.

galago

Marmosets

The smallest of the higher primates. Very mobile tree monkeys. They are active during the day and sleep in tree cavities at night.

The main diet is insects, birds, juicy fruits and seeds. They are distributed mainly in South America. Found in Colombia, Panama, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador.

How long do monkeys live?

No animal arouses as much interest in people as monkeys. And all because they are our closest relatives, both physiologically and intellectually. Monkeys make up a separate infraorder of the Apes in the order of Primates. Among primitive animals, their close relatives are tarsiers, lemurs, tupai, lorises, mites, and insectivorous mammals are distant. This relationship debunks one of the most enduring myths about monkeys as the most perfect creatures on the planet. In reality, they have only a developed intellect, which is due to the specifics of the environment of their existence, but the physiology of monkeys is at a rather primitive level.

Crested macaque, or crested baboon (Macaca nigra) - the first species of monkeys that entered the history of mankind as the author of a selfie.

The body sizes of these animals vary widely: the smallest monkey - the pygmy marmoset - weighs only 100-150 g, and the largest are gorillas, whose weight can reach 140-200 kg. Male orangutans almost keep up with them, whose weight in rare cases can reach up to 180 kg (their females are much smaller).

Dwarf marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea).

It is clear that such a difference in size could not but affect the appearance. If you look for common features in monkeys, then they are united by a rounded skull that contains a large brain; small size of fixed ears; superciliary arches outlining the eye sockets; large eyes adapted to see in daylight; short movable neck; muscular long limbs. It is characteristic that all monkeys have a clavicle - a bone that allows their forelimbs to move in different directions, unlike the paws of terrestrial tetrapods, which are able to move mainly in the "back and forth" direction.

In primitive New World broad-nosed monkeys, the facial part of the skull is relatively poorly developed, so their muzzles are flat. In the more advanced narrow-nosed monkeys of the Old World, the jaws protrude noticeably forward, for example, in baboons that do not disdain hunting, this gives an almost dog-like appearance.

The male hamadryas (Papio hamadryas) yawns to show off his teeth to rivals. Such a grin is often used by baboons to bloodlessly strengthen discipline.

Broad-nosed and narrow-nosed monkeys are called not so much by the size of the nose, but by the direction of the nostrils: in the broad-nosed they are set apart, and in the narrow-nosed they are directed forward. In males, the nose is similar to a cucumber - it acts as a resonator, while in females of this species, the noses are short and upturned.

Male proboscis, or kahau (Nasalis larvatus).

Very short noses with nostrils directed almost upwards in rhinopithecines.

Male black rhinopithecus (Rhinopithecus bieti).

Compared to other animals, monkeys have well-developed facial muscles, since their grimaces perform a communicative function. The vision of these primates is binocular and color, which allows you to quickly determine the distance to objects and accurately identify them. Such vision is vital for the inhabitants of high crowns, feeding on a variety of fruits, leaves, and sometimes small animals.

The front paws of monkeys are five-fingered, with the first (thumb) toe set aside, which allows them to wrap around tree branches and manipulate objects. To obtain food, monkeys use tools, such as stones, twigs, rolled leaves, with which they break nuts, pull out ants, scoop up water, etc.

The brown black-headed capuchin or faun (Cebus apella) uses a heavy stone to crush the shell of a hard nut.

However, in some tree monkeys, the first toe can be reduced, in which case the paw is used as a hook, that is, the animal hangs on a branch, holding on to it with all four fingers. The hind legs of monkeys also have a set finger: on the one hand, this allows them to more effectively hold on to branches, and on the other hand, it does not interfere with walking and running on the ground. By the way, monkeys move, leaning on the entire surface of their palms and soles, and only great apes (orangutans, gorillas, gibbons, chimpanzees) bend their fingers on their palms while walking, leaning on their back side.

Monkey fingers end in nails; in small tree monkeys, they sometimes have an arched shape, which makes them look like claws from the outside.

The tail is perhaps the most variable organ of monkeys. In anthropoid primates and macaques, it is completely absent, in pig-tailed macaques it is short and does not play any role in movement, in other species it is long, but functions differently. For example, the monkeys of the Old World use it as a balance while jumping (and the monkey hussars also rely on it when they stand), but among the broad-nosed monkeys there are many species with an extremely tenacious tail. Its underside is bare and has papillary lines like fingerprints, and the tail itself is very flexible and strong. All this allows its owner to wrap his tail around the branches, literally feeling their surface, and also hang on it. It is not for nothing that woolly, reddish and spider monkeys are sometimes called five-armed, implying that the tail replaces them with an additional limb. True, the smallest monkeys (marmosets, marmosets, tamarins) have a long tail that is not at all muscular, these species use it like squirrels, like a steering wheel when jumping.

Red-haired monkey (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) with a cub moves over an air bridge between trees.

Monkeys are characterized by thick hair without undercoat, but at the same time their palms, feet and partly their face are always bare. In some species, other parts of the body are also naked: in geladas, the skin on the chest, in all baboons, ischial calluses, in uakari, the skull.

Baboon or yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) showing black ischial calluses. In other species of baboons, these body parts are usually red in color.

Skin color in different species can be flesh, bright red, blue, black, or even multi-colored, like a mandrill.

The unusual skin texture of the Nemean thin-bodied (Pygathrix nemaeus) makes it look like a doll.

The coat of monkeys is often colored black, brown, gray, a few species are characterized by variegated coloration.

Nemean thinbodies are also among the most brightly colored monkeys.

Many species have decorations in the form of elongated hair growing on the head, face, neck, shoulders and forming, respectively, a lush head of hair, a beard and mustache, a “hood”, a mane. Such ornaments may be peculiar only to males (for example, the mane of baboons) or to both sexes (for example, the mustache of the imperial saguina).

Imperial saguins (Saguinus imperator).

In general, monkeys are characterized by sexual dimorphism, which is reduced to a brighter color and larger size of males. However, it is expressed differently in different species. As a rule, the strongest differences between males and females can be observed in polygamous species with a strong dominance of the leader (baboons, proboscis), less clear - in gregarious monkeys with less aggressive males (gorillas, macaques), and very insignificant - in monkeys living in pairs. , where the male and female equally take care of the offspring (marmosets, marmosets, tamarins).

Family of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana).

All monkeys are heat-loving animals living in the equatorial, tropical and subtropical zones of Asia, Africa, South and Central America. In Europe, monkeys are known only in the extreme southwest of the continent - at Cape Gibraltar. Magots live here, but they also came to Europe with the help of a man from their historical homeland - North Africa. The other extreme northern habitat of these primates is on the Japanese Islands. Here, Japanese macaques have managed to populate even islands with a temperate climate, where a lot of snow falls in winter. True, it is not the skin that helps them overcome frosts, but their intellect - these monkeys have learned to warm themselves in hot springs, where they spend almost the entire winter day.

Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), warming themselves in the water, are simultaneously engaged in daily activities: they eat, sort each other's wool. This group indulges in a midday nap.

The monkeys' favorite habitats are dense forests with many fruit trees. Few species have mastered dry woodlands (monkeys), savannahs (baboons), rocky slopes (magots, geladas).

A flock of langurs hide from torrents flowing down a rocky slope in the Thar Desert. Most monkeys do not like water and even swim only when absolutely necessary.

All monkeys are herbivorous to some degree. Some of them adhere to an exclusively vegetarian diet, eating the fruits of trees, leaves, young shoots, seeds, such species include orangutans, gorillas, and howler monkeys. Others replenish protein reserves in the body, periodically eating eggs and chicks, small lizards, crabs. These species include macaques, monkeys, marmosets. Finally, meat plays a significant role in the diet of baboons, sometimes these monkeys even catch such large animals as cubs of gazelles and small antelopes.

A baboon with a baby gazelle he killed.

The nature of the diet leaves its mark on the way of life. Herbivorous marmosets, marmosets and gibbons live in pairs or small families, including close relatives (older children, grandparents). These monkeys are very peaceful, they do not like fights, they mark the territory either with urine (marmosets) or with special songs (gibbons).

The jointed gibbon, or siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) performs a morning song. The bag under his throat serves as a resonator for him, amplifying the sound.

Very calm herbivorous orangutans living alone, and gorillas with small harems. But these species, on occasion, can fend for themselves. Schooling species have a higher level of aggression. For example, howler monkeys protect their possessions and females with deafening cries, and the voices of these monkeys are the loudest sounds made by animals!

Black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) guard the borders of their territory.

Moderately pugnacious omnivorous monkeys, macaques, even more aggressive baboons. Flocks of these monkeys have a leader male, to whom all the rest obey. Young males can get along with him only under the condition of full submission, otherwise they will have to learn the strength of his bites on their own skin. Females play the role of disenfranchised concubines, the fate of each of them depends on the taste of the leader: the favorites receive maximum care and food, the rest are forced to be content with the remnants from the table of the stronger and more successful. In chimpanzees, intra-pack aggression is removed either by sexual contact or by organized warfare against another pack. In the latter case, the winners can taste the meat of the vanquished. By the way, chimpanzees are the only monkeys that prey on other monkeys. And it's not only about clan differences, but also about monkeys, regularly falling into the teeth of large "brothers".

Two male baboons got into a fight. Teenagers felt whose will take, and immediately supported the strong. Although their participation in the battle is symbolic, such training will allow them to gain the necessary experience and confidence in order to claim leadership themselves in the future.

Regardless of the level of relationships within the flock, the communication of monkeys is accompanied by complex forms of behavior. These animals are not alien to such feelings as friendship, love, envy, resentment, rancor, cunning, anger, grief and empathy.

This female chakma, or bear baboon (Papio ursinus), has lost a cub, but even after his death she continues to carry the baby's body on her back until the corpse is completely decomposed.

In case of danger, their calls not only indicate an approaching threat, but accurately identify it: there are separate signals denoting a leopard, poisonous snakes, a python, an ape-eating eagle, an armed and an unarmed person. Thus, monkeys have a primitive speech, in which at least nouns are present. In captivity, monkeys cannot reproduce human speech due to the difference in the structure of the vocal cords, but they are quite capable of mastering the language of gestures or signals.

Gorilla Koko, who knew sign language, explained to her caretakers that she wanted to have a cub. But since scientists did not allow her to mate, their ward was allowed to adopt a kitten. Koko was very attached to the adopted baby and cried when she had to be separated from him.

Monkeys do not have a specific breeding season. Mating takes place all year round. The female usually gives birth to one baby, rarely two (twins are more common in tamarins). A newborn is born sighted, covered with short hair, but helpless. At first, he hangs on his mother's stomach, later he moves onto her back. Childbirth takes place in a flock and attracts increased attention to the young mother, her social status rises for some time. Male marmosets and tamarins give birth to females and even eat the placenta, subsequently they take an active part in raising offspring: they carry the baby on themselves, and give it to their mothers only for feeding. Males of other monkeys take care of the young, allowing babies and teenagers more than ordinary members of the pack are allowed, but they do not show much attention to their own children. The childhood of monkeys is relatively long, which is due to complex behaviors - in order to gain the necessary experience, babies will have to watch adults and play with each other for a long time.

Baby gorillas and chimpanzees explore the world around them together. Although such a meeting is impossible in nature, in captivity the kids quickly found a common language.

Large monkeys have no natural enemies, only chimpanzees, as mentioned above, can die from the paws and stones of a neighboring flock. Things are different in medium and small monkeys. Their enemies are primarily wild cats (leopard, jaguar, less often - a lion or a tiger), all kinds of snakes, especially pythons and boas. At a watering place, they can fall into the mouth of a crocodile. In South America and on the islands of the Philippine archipelago, monkey-eating eagles prey on monkeys. Their name eloquently makes it clear that they have achieved perfection in catching primates. However, danger from the air can lie in wait for monkeys in other parts of the world, where they can be attacked by kites, hawks and crowned eagles.

A crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) caught a monkey.

Monkeys are prone to human infections such as tonsillitis, influenza, tuberculosis, herpes, hepatitis, rabies, measles, so in areas of mass tourism they are protected from contact with strangers.

This baby gorilla was rescued from the hands of animal dealers in the Congo. While the orphan is getting used to a new home, the workers of the rehabilitation center wear masks so as not to infect the baby with human infections.

But human impact on these animals is not limited to passive transmission of infections. Since ancient times, people have hunted monkeys: the natives ate their meat, more developed peoples simply destroyed them as pests of agriculture, raiding fields and plantations, white colonialists killed the Gverets for their beautiful fur, the paws of gorillas were used to make souvenirs. Finally, with the advent of the "love of animals" fashion, many species of monkeys have become desirable pets. This demand began to be satisfied by thousands of poachers around the world, catching monkeys in nature for resale. As a result, many species of monkeys are on the verge of extinction and are listed in the International Red Book.

In any zoo, monkeys are the most popular. If you stand and watch these animals, you will soon be convinced that the behavior of monkeys is very similar to ours.

Monkeys are large and small. The smallest monkey is the dwarf marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), the length of its head and body is about 15 cm. The largest is the gorilla: it grows up to 1.85 m. The tail may be completely absent; however, some monkeys also have a tail that is longer than their body. For example, the body of a gulman (Presbytis entellus) is 50-70 cm long, and the tail is 65-100 cm. Its close relative, the golden-chocolate snub-nosed monkey, has a body length of 50-80, and the tail is up to 104 cm. The marmoset is not only the smallest, but and the lightest monkey; it weighs only 100 g. And the heaviest of the monkeys is the gorilla. An adult male gorilla can weigh up to 275 kg, that is, approximately 3000 times more than his little relative.

The brains of monkeys are well developed. Many have a round head or a forward muzzle. The eyes are directed forward; ears are most often similar to human ones. The facial muscles are well developed, so the monkeys have facial expressions. A particularly important feature in monkeys is their arms and legs, which they cleverly use. The tail often serves as another tool for grasping. Under the guidance of researchers, some monkeys even learn to perform complex actions - often requiring a certain understanding.

Monkeys live in pairs and in small or large groups. They can breed throughout the year. They usually have only one cub, which they raise for a long time. The maximum age of monkeys is from 10 to 40 years. Biologists divide monkeys into two large groups - monkeys from the New and Old Worlds. Monkeys from the New World live exclusively in Central and South America. These include about 50 species of medium size. They all live in trees and are active during the day. New World monkeys include durukuli (Aotus), uakari (Cacajao), saki (Pithecia), saimiri (Saimiri), woolly (Lagothrix), howler monkeys (Alouatta), capuchins (Cebus) and arachnids (Ateles). The largest of them is arachnid, reaching a length of more than 60 cm and having an almost meter-long grasping tail.

Monkey gycap

Monkeys from the Old World are common in Africa and in the southern regions of Asia. In the extreme south of Spain lives the only barbary monkey in Europe. About 80 different species belong to the Old World monkeys, including rhesus macaques (M. mulatto.), Baboons, hussar monkeys, langurs (Presbytis) and proboscis (Nasalis). Two more important groups belong to monkeys from the Old World: small great apes - gibbons and great great apes - orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees. Along with monkeys from the New and Old Worlds, biologists also include semi-monkeys in this order. They represent a transitional stage between insectivorous mammals and apes proper.

The lower primates, or semi-monkeys living in Africa, Southeast Asia and Madagascar, form 6 families: blunt-like, lemurs, indrisids, bats, lorizids and tarsiers. The semi-monkeys include animals with such exotic names as maki, catta, sifaki, indri, loris, potto or galago. The smallest of the semi-monkeys is the mouse lemur, whose body length is 11 cm, weight 50 g. The largest is the indri, which, when it stands on its hind legs, reaches a height of 93 cm. Almost all semi-monkeys are forest dwellers and feed on plants. During the day they sleep, and at night they go in search of food; They have very large eyes and a highly developed sense of smell.

Gorillas, especially old males, inspire respect in any observer. However, despite their size and strength, they are peaceful inhabitants of the forests, feeding exclusively on plants. Animals are kept by families under the leadership of an old male with a silver stripe on his back. The day for gorillas begins with the fact that they immediately start eating after waking up and eat for 2-3 hours. Towards noon they settle down to sleep again, sometimes waking up to eat again. Toward evening, the gorillas again go in search of food. With the onset of twilight, the leader begins to build his nest for the night. Others follow his example. Unfortunately, the future of these large apes looks sad. How many gorillas are left in the forests, no one knows, estimates differ: some naturalists say that several hundred, others - several thousand.

Mandrill belongs to the monkey family, its close relatives are baboons. He lives in dense forests and roams there in groups consisting of one adult male and several females with cubs. The group can consist of 20 animals.

On the muzzle of the male mandrill, a bright red and blue pattern is noticeable. Such a motley muzzle is clearly visible among the dense trees. And it is important that all members of the group stick together.

Monkeys are medium-sized representatives of the Old World monkeys. They have a very long tail, a moderately elongated and rounded muzzle, and small and round ears. The coat is thick and long. Often sideburns or a beard are formed around the muzzle. There are 15 species of monkeys, and they all live in Africa. The most common species is the green monkey.

"Orangutan" means "forest man" in Malay. Orangutans were first described by Western researchers at the beginning of the 18th century. They arrived in Europe in 1776. However, almost nothing was known about the life of orangutans in nature for a long time. Everything has changed quite recently. Since the 1970s, extensive research programs have been carried out. The great ape roams the dense tropical forests of Asia and, unlike the gorilla and chimpanzee, lives alone.

frolic baby orangutan

With age, large growths in the form of rolls of fat grow on the cheeks of oratugpan males. The orangutan rarely descends from the trees. With the help of long arms, he deftly jumps from branch to branch. With the onset of evening twilight, he builds himself a large nest of leaves, and often with a roof from the rain, on a fork in the boughs. This sleeping nest is only used for one night. The next morning, the orangutan gets up and slowly moves on. Finding a tree with fruits, he climbs it and has lunch. Sometimes he settles down and takes a nap.

The existence of orangutans is under threat today. Forests in Indonesia are being cut down and the "forest man" is rapidly losing its habitat. If serious measures are not taken, then soon orangutans will remain only in zoos. Reserves in tropical rainforests help protect many other species of animals and plants that are threatened with extinction.

Baboons are monkeys with a long muzzle, which justifies their name "dog-headed". They stay mainly on the ground and only in danger climb trees or rocks. Powerful fangs allow adult males to defend themselves from enemies. Even leopards are afraid of them.

For the time of sleep, baboons retire to the trees, and at dawn they descend again to search for food. They bypass their territory, doing 5-20 km per day. By evening, they again go to rest in the trees. If there are no trees, then they sleep on the eaves of sheer cliffs.

Baboons live in large herds of 40-80 individuals, but sometimes you can find a herd consisting of 200 individuals. The basis of the herd is females with cubs, an adult male looks after him. He tolerates growing males in his herd, but keeps them in obedience.

The largest of the baboons is the chakma, or bear baboon (Pargo ursinus). In this species, the body length of males reaches 1.15 m, and the weight is 30 kg. Chakma lives in South Africa.

Its close relative is the baboon hamadryas (P. hamadryas), which lives in Ethiopia, northern Somalia, northeastern Sudan and southwestern Arabia. In ancient times, hamadryas were also found in the Nile Valley. The ancient Egyptians highly revered him and dedicated him to the sun god Ra, and animal corpses were often mummified. Sexually mature males of hamadryas are decorated with sideburns and a silvery mantle (mantle) with a hair length of up to 25 cm. That is why they are sometimes called "cloaked baboons".

Chimpanzees belong to the family of great apes, their closest relatives are the gorilla and the orangutan. Like both of these species, chimpanzees also live in the forest. They roam their territory in small groups. In the morning, the monkeys eat for two hours, then rest for half a day, and in the evening they again go in search of food. Chimpanzees spend the night in nests, which are built each time new ones.

Barbary monkey, or magot (Masas sylvanus)

Value	60-70 cm body length. Shoulder height 45-50 cm. Weight: females up to 12 kg; males up to 15 kg
signs	A bare, wrinkled face, reddish, thick whiskers on the cheeks, short ears. There is no tail. The fur is thick, long, light brown
Nutrition	Fruit, leaves, grass and roots; in addition, insects, worms, scorpions and small vertebrates
reproduction	Pregnancy 146-180 days; 1 cub, rarely 2; newborn weight about 450 g
habitats	Shrubs on rocks and hills at an altitude of 600-2000 m; Algiers, Morocco; in Europe it is found only in Gibraltar in southern Spain (presumably they were brought there)

In the language of the indigenous people of Africa - the Luba tribe - "chimpanzee" means "human-like". The veracity of this statement has been scientifically proven. Scientists estimate that the evolutionary paths of chimpanzees and humans diverged only 6 million years ago. And today it is the brightest and most amazing representative of the genus of anthropoid primates, genetically and biochemically the closest to Homo sapiens. For example, the similarity between our DNA is almost 90%.

Description of the chimpanzee

But the "humanity" of chimpanzees is not limited to the similarity of DNA.

Appearance

Chimpanzees, like humans, have blood types and individual fingerprints.. They can be distinguished by them - the pattern never repeats. Chimpanzees are different in size from humans. The largest males do not exceed 1.5 meters in height. Females are even lower - 1.3 meters. But at the same time, chimpanzees are very strong physically and have well-developed muscles, which not every Homo sapiens can boast of.

The structure of the skull is distinguished by pronounced superciliary arches, a flat nose and a strongly protruding jaw armed with sharp teeth. The cranium is made by nature with a margin - the brain occupies only half of its volume. The fore and hind legs of chimpanzees are the same length. An outstanding feature of the structure of their paws is the thumb, which is located at a distance from the rest and allows the monkey to deftly manage small objects.

The entire body of a chimpanzee is covered with hair. Nature made an exception for the face, palms and soles of the monkey's feet. Adolescent chimpanzees have a small area of white among their dark thick wool - in the area of the coccyx. As the monkey matures, the hairs darken and turn brown. This feature allows chimpanzees to distinguish still children from adults and treat them accordingly. It has been noticed that monkeys with white "islands" on the coccyx get away with a lot, that is, from their paws. Adult primates do not punish them for pranks and do not require much. But as soon as the white hairs disappear, childhood ends.

Chimpanzee species

Chimpanzees belong to the genus of great apes and are relatives of gorillas and orangutans. There are two types of chimpanzee - the common chimpanzee and the bonobo chimpanzee. Bonobo is often referred to as the "pygmy chimpanzee", which is not entirely true. Bonobo is not a dwarf per se, just the structure of his body differs from an ordinary chimpanzee in great grace. Also, this species, the only one of the monkeys, has red lips, like a person.

The common chimpanzee has subspecies:

black-faced or chimpanzee of which - differs in freckles on the face;
western chimpanzee - has a black mask on the face in the shape of a butterfly;
shveyfurtovsky - has two distinctive features: a light face, acquiring a dirty shade with age, and longer hair than relatives.

Character and lifestyle

Chimpanzee is a social animallives in groups of up to 20-30 individuals. The male chimpanzee leads the group, the female leads the bonobos. The leader is not always the strongest primate of the group, but he must be the most cunning. He needs to be able to build relationships with relatives in such a way that they obey him. To do this, he chooses a company of close associates, such as guards, on whom he can rely in case of danger. The rest of the competing males are kept in fear of obedience.

When the leader “fails” due to old age or injury, a younger and more promising “commander” immediately takes his place. Females in the pack also obey a strict hierarchy. There are female leaders who are in a special position. Males pay increased attention to them, and this secures their status of being chosen. These chimpanzees get the most tidbits and the largest number of boyfriends during the mating season.

This is interesting! Bonobo, due to the lack of aggression in character, all conflicts within the group are resolved peacefully - by mating.

Female chimpanzees are considered to be more obedient, but less intelligent than males in training and training. But they express great affection for a person and do not harbor the threat of aggressive disobedience, unlike males, who are “led astray by the righteous” instinct of dominance. The social way of life makes it easier for chimpanzees to hunt, protect offspring, and helps to accumulate useful skills in a group. They learn a lot from each other while living together. Scientists have proven that lonely monkeys have reduced overall health indicators. Worse appetite than collective relatives, and slowed metabolism.

Chimpanzees - forest dwellers. They need trees. They build nests on them, find food, run away from the enemy, grabbing branches, from the enemy. But, with equal success, these monkeys also move on the ground, using all four paws. Upright walking, on two legs, is not typical for chimpanzees in the natural environment.

It has been observed that chimpanzees lose out to orangutans in tree climbing agility, but outperform gorillas in keeping their nests clean. The design of chimpanzee nests is not distinguished by elegance and is made unpretentiously - from branches and sticks, gathered together in a chaotic manner. Chimpanzees sleep only in nests, in trees - for safety reasons.

Chimpanzees know how to swim, but they don't like it. They generally prefer not to get wet unless absolutely necessary. Their main pastime is eating and relaxing. Everything is slow and measured. The only thing that violates the vital harmony of the monkeys is the appearance of the enemy. In this case, the chimpanzees raise an unbelievable cry. Chimpanzees are capable of making up to 30 types of sounds, but they cannot reproduce human speech, since they “speak” on exhalation, and not on inhalation, like a person. Communication within the group is also aided by body language and body posture. There is also facial expressions. Chimpanzees can smile and change facial expressions.

Chimpanzees are smart animals. These monkeys are fast learners. Living with a person, they easily adopt his manners and habits, sometimes demonstrating amazing results. It is known that the sailor's monkey coped with the anchor and sails, was able to kindle the stove in the galley and keep the fire in it.

Living in a group, chimpanzees successfully share their experiences. The young learn from mature primates simply by observing their behavior and copying it. These monkeys, in their natural habitat, themselves thought of using sticks and stones as tools for obtaining food, and large plant leaves as a scoop for water or an umbrella in case of rain, or a fan, or even toilet paper.

Chimpanzees are capable of admiring a flower that has no nutritional value, or carefully studying a crawling python.

This is interesting! Unlike humans, a chimpanzee will not destroy useless and harmless objects and living creatures for him, rather, on the contrary. Chimpanzees have been known to feed turtles. Just!

how long does a chimpanzee live

In the harsh environment of the wild, chimpanzees rarely live past 50 years of age. But in the zoo, under human supervision, this monkey is released up to 60 years.

Range, habitats

Chimpanzees are inhabitants of Central and West Africa. They choose tropical rainforests and mountain forests, with lots of vegetation. Today, bonobos can only be found in Central Africa - in the humid forests between the Congo and Lualaba rivers.

Populations of common chimpanzees have been registered in the territory of: Cameroon, Guinea, Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and a number of other states of equatorial Africa.