Physical Characteristics

Spider monkeys have an exceptionally long tail and legs in relation to body length. The tail is prehensile and extremely flexible. Colombian black spider monkeys are all black, but sometimes there are thin flesh-colored rings around the eyes and white chin whiskers.
Size of average adult
Length: 16 - 21 inches
Tail: 28 - 34 inches
Weight: 19 pounds
Approximate life span is 24 years

Golden spider monkeys live almost exclusively in trees, in Central America from Southern Mexico to Panama.

REPRODUCTION and GROWTH

After a gestation period of 225-232 days, one young is born. The baby is carried on the mother's abdomen until it can ride on her back. Infants spend much time playing. They explore, or chase, grapple, and jump on others. The more playmates one has, the more likely he is to play.

DIET

Spider monkeys prefer a diet of 90% fruit and nuts. In the wild they sometimes rob bird nests, or obtain nectar from the blossoms that they tear open.

In the Zoo they are fed celery, bananas, apples, oranges, carrots, monkey chow, dog chow, lettuce, and wheat bread.

ENDANGERED

So many Spider monkeys have been shot for food that they are absent from much of their former range. They are vulnerable because they have low maturation and reproduction rates. Their habitat, mature rain forests, is being lost to farming at the rate of 35,000 acres a day.