Common Name: Woolly Monkey Scientific Name: Lagothrix lagotricha
LOWER RISK Woolly Monkey Distribution: Amazon Basin Habitat: Forest Height: Approx. 55cm
Woolly Monkeys are very thickset animals. They look bulky and have a very large head in comparison to their body. Their fur is mostly dark grey, although sometimes has a silvery appearance, and it is very thick. As most New World Monkeys, Woolly Monkeys have a prehensile tail. Their tail has a bald patch at the end on the underneath. They use this for gripping and in effect have a fifth hand. Woolly Monkeys are New World Monkeys and so come from South America. They live in the forests in the river Amazon basin. They are mainly arboreal (live in the trees) although will come to the ground for food.
Weight: 4kg - 10kg
These monkeys are largely vegetarian with most of their diet consisting of fruit and vegetables. This is sometimes supplemented with insects such as termites.
Diet: Omnivorous Fruit, leaves, insects.
Woolly Monkeys live in large, social groups. They have a very complex communication system using vocalisations, scent, vision and touch to communicate between individuals. The group consists of many males and many females all of which get to reproduce. Births usually occur between August and December after a gestation period (pregnancy) of about 7 months. The baby will be completely dependant on its mother for the first few months but by 6 months it can move around by itself. It will suckle for about 18 months when it moves on to a vegetable diet. Average lifespan is 22 – 26 years.