monkeys
...om other cage mates and noise. Narrow perches and shelves should be avoided so they will not get sores on the top sides of their tails at the base. The sores are a result of them sitting with their tail wrapped underneath them and the friction that results from supporting their body weight. Using wire shelves may help, but providing a stimulating environment will stop them from just sitting and being idle. Hammocks can be made from hand towels hung from the top of the cage by plastic chain and can be easily taken out and thrown in the washing machine. CAPTIVE CARE - DIET As with all monkeys, squirrels need a varied and healthy diet. A breakdown of their diet structure is: 70% commercial new world monkey diet, 20% fresh fruit and vegetables, 5% high protein treats, and 5% insects. The resource for this document is THE PRIMATE CARE HANDBOOK and can be ordered from the publisher, the Simian Society of America. Capuchins BRIEF DESCRIPTION Weight: 4 to 15 pounds depending on the sex and species Head & Body: 19 to 20" Tail: 12 to 22 inches Lifespan: 35 to 45 years Color varies greatly between the different species and the females tend to be smaller in size than the males. There are four species of capuchins: WHITE-FACED (white-throated, black & white) - Body, hands and feet are black with a cap of black hair on the head. Their face is white to pink in coloration with white hair trimming the face and running down into the chest and upper arms. CINNAMON (white-fronted) - About the same size and facial coloration of the white-faced, but the hair around the face is a sandy color. The skin color of the hands and feet is a dark reddish color and the body hair ranges from a true cinnamon to a brown. Most have reddish hair on their forearms. WEDGE-CAPPED (weeper) - Plain, olive colored coat with the hair around the face and chest being close to the color of the rest of the body. There is a band of color that runs from the cap down the forehead to the nose, creating the "wedge." The skin of the face is light colored, but the nose and upper lip is dark gray. BLACK-CAPPED (tufted, brown) - Have a dark face, with almost black hands and feet. Brown is the general body color, with a lighter rust color around the face and down into the chest and upper arms. The hair on the head can form tufts that resemble "horns" or upright hairs joining in the middle of the head forming a "hood." They are the largest of the capuchins. REPRODUCTION They give birth once every 2 years after a gestation period of about 160 days. Twins have been reported, but are uncommon. Infant spend the first three months of their lives hanging on to their mother's backs, moving around to the mother's breast to nurse. By three months of age, the baby will start to show a great interest in its surroundings and will reach out to grasp objects and start to sample solid foods. By six months of age, they are pretty self-sufficient, but they still need their mother for security and supplemental milk. They are usually weaned from their mother by nine months to a year of age. Complete sexual maturity is reached at 4 to 5 years of age in females and males, but physical maturity is not reached until 6 or 7 years of age in a male. COMMUNICATION Capuchins are very social animals and live in colonies or troops. They spend their days foraging for food, playing, and grooming each other. They are very protective of their young and if any youngster emits an alarm call, an adult will immediately rush to its aid. All groups are usually led by a dominant male but females will usually mate with any male in the group. The larger the group size the better equipped to look out for predators, such as eagles and hawks. CAPTIVE CARE - HOUSING Capuchins are very active and need a large cage and, if at all possible, both indoors and out. Foraging is an important activity and seeds or a foraging mix should be tossed in some straw or shavings to provide them with a calming and necessary activity. You can activate their cage space by providing swings, simulated vines, perches, walkways, and other natural materials. A child's wading pool can provide hours of activity in hot weather and it should be cleaned out daily. CAPTIVE CARE - DIET As with all monkeys, capuchins need a varied and healthy diet. A breakdown of their diet structure is: 70% commercial monkey biscuit, 20% fresh fruit and vegetables, 5% foraging foods (seeds, nuts, grains), and 5% high protein treats (insects, eggs, etc.). The resource for this document is THE PRIMATE CARE HANDBOOK and can be ordered from the publisher, the Simian Society of America Spider Monkeys BRIEF DESCRIPTION Weight: 13 to 25 pounds Head & Body: 19 to 20" Tail: 27 to 30 inches, very prehensile Lifespan: 30 to 40 years Females tend to be a little larger and heavier than males. They have very long arms and legs and even just the tip of their tail can support the weight of their entire body. Spider monkeys have no thumbs or it is reduced to a nub. There are four basic species of spiders: BLACK-HANDED or GEOFFROY - Their color ranges greatly from black, brown, silver, to rust. Several subspecies have flesh-colored rings around the eyes and their hands and feet are usually black. BROWN HEADED - Black with a brown head or all black with a few white hairs on the chin. Infants have a pink face and ears. WHITE-BELLIED - Black to light brown on back with a light colored stomach area. They may have a white patched triangle on their forehead and some have white sideburns. BLACK SPIDER - Black all over with a light pink to gray face. Their tail is very thick at the base. REPRODUCTION They are non-seasonal breeders and have a gestation period of 225 to 230 days. They give birth to one baby, which is dependent on her for the first two to three years of life. By the fourth or fifth month they start consuming solid foods. Females usually give birth every three to four years. GROUP STRUCTURE They are often found in groups of up to thirty individuals, but this is usually broken up into smaller groups of three or four individuals. In most cases, males are more dominant and aggressive than females. Grooming is seen more often between mothers and their young than between other individuals CAPTIVE CARE - HOUSING Since they swing, move hand over hand while hanging, leap, and move bipedally and quadrupedally, they require a large cage that will accommodate all of this behavior. You can provide horizontal poles which permit swinging and branciating, lots of space between climbing structures to promote leaping, and platforms of varying widths to make space for walking upright and on all fours. CAPTIVE CARE - DIET As with all monkeys, spiders need a varied and healthy diet. A breakdown of their diet structure is: 80% commercial monkey biscuit, 10% fresh fruit and vegetables, 5% browsing foods (leaves, plants and stems, seeds, nuts, grains), and 5% insects. The resource for this document is THE PRIMATE CARE HANDBOOK and can be ordered from the publisher, the Simian Society of America. Macaques BRIEF DESCRIPTION Weight: 8 to 35 pounds depending on the sex and species Head & Body: 15 to 31" Tail: .39 to 26 inches, non-prehensile Lifespan: 25 to 30+ years In general, macaques are stocky with a well pronounced muzzle. They have well developed hands with an opposable thumb, and males are generally larger than females. Some of the most commonly kept species are listed here from smallest to largest: CRAB-EATING or JAVA - pale yellowish brown to dark brown in color, with the stomach being much lighter. WEIGHT: 8 to 22 pounds HEAD & BODY: 15 to 24 inches TAIL: 15 to 26 inches RHESUS - generally reddish brow with gray forearms and a light stomach. Their face is a light flesh color. WEIGHT: 10 to 30 pounds HEAD & BODY: 15 to 24 inches TAIL: 7 to 12 inches STUMP-TAILED - Brown hair that becomes mixed with gray with age. Their forehead becomes bald in adulthood, but the rest of the hair on their head is long. Face is pink or red, and sometimes they have freckles. WEIGHT: 22 to 33 pounds HEAD & BODY: 23 to 25 inches TAIL: .39 to .78 inches (it is very small and with very little hair) PIG-TAILED - Various shades of brown with a darker head, back, and tail. Sometimes their eyelids are a light blue color. WEIGHT: 10 to 35 pounds HEAD & BODY: 19 to 27 inches TAIL: 5 to 10 inches CELEBES - Completely black with a very long face and prominent eyebrow ridge. The hair on the top of the head are long and form a crest when excited. WEIGHT: 13 to 35 pounds HEAD & BODY: 22 to 31 inches TAIL: .39 to .78 inches REPRODUCTION Gestation is from 162 to 176 days, usually resulting in the birth of one infant. Babies are generally nursed until they are 10 to 12 months of age, but they will start sampling solid foods prior to weaning. The infants will form strong bonds with the mother and others that are related to them. They usually reach sexual maturity by 3 to 4 years of age, but they are often not physically mature until 6 to 8 years of age. GROUP STRUCTURE They live in groups of six to fifty individuals with a hierarchy among males and females. Those with higher rank are often the center of the group, with the subordinate individuals avoiding contact with dominate ones to avoid fighting. They are very social, spending lots of time grooming each other. They are very protective of their young and other members of the group. CAPTIVE CARE - HOUSING Macaques are very intelligent and large, and potentially dangerous. There is quite a bit of difference between an infant and an adult. Therefore, wood should not be used as the primary building material for their cage, because of their destructive nature. Cages should be built of steel framing and heavy chain link should be used. Larger species like the pig-tails or celebes should be housed in a solid steel or wraught iron cage that is bolted to the floor. A safety or double door entrance is important to prevent escape and a lock up area can be used to avoid having to go in with an adult animal. CAPTIVE CARE - DIET As with all monkeys, macaques need a varied and healthy diet. A breakdown of their diet structure is: 80% commercial old world biscuit, 10% fresh fruit and vegetables, 5% browsing foods (leaves, plants and stems, seeds, nuts, grains), and 5% high protein treat. The resource for this document is THE PRIMATE CARE HANDBOOK and can be ordered from the publisher, the Simian Society of America. Guenons This is a highly diverse group with there being 19 to 21 distinct species, 67 sub-species, and 8 or 9 groups. To make it easier, they are divided up into 2 categories, Savanna and Forest dwelling. They have a life span of 20 to 25 years and the species most commonly owned by individuals are: SAVANNA MONKEYS They are plain colored with soft, short hair which is yellowish to olive color on the shoulders, back, and tail. Their arms and legs are gray to black and their face is black as well. They weigh in at about 10 to 16 pounds. and the males are larger than the females. They posses opposable thumbs, a long tail, and cheek pouches. GREEN MONKEYS - The most plain of the savanna monkeys, lacking the white band of hair above the eyes. VERVET - Has a thick band of white hair framing the upper sides of the face and above the brow. GRIVET - Has a thin band of white across the brow and has white cheek tufts on either side of the head. REPRODUCTION Females reach sexual maturity between 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years of age and males at around 5 years. Usually one baby per year ...