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Although we sometimes link intelligence with tool use, whether an animal uses tools or not depends partly on cognitive ability, and partly on need. What if it snags on something? So, no thumbs needed, but as it is, spider monkeys are incredible trapeze artists thanks to their four long fingers shaped like hooks and powerful prehensile tails (with a bald patch at the end similar to the palm of a hand), which can hold up the weight of their entire bodies.Īnother reason spider monkeys don't need thumbs: Unlike some primates, they don't use tools, though, truth be told, they probably don't use tools because they don't have thumbs. And it makes sense - when your entire existence revolves around agile locomotion through the tree canopy, an awkwardly-jutting thumb is a liability. That's right - spider monkeys have extremely reduced thumbs, so small that they're not even noticeable. Together a group of spider monkeys forages for fruit, but also bird eggs, leaves and insects, but mostly they eat whatever fruit they can get their thumbless hands on. It may not seem like much, but it's a lot if you consider the acrobatics required of them up in the treetops - they're so strong and agile that they can easily sail across a 40-foot (12-meter) gap in the tree canopy and land safely on a branch on the other side. An average adult weighs around 13 pounds (6 kilograms), but the largest species, the critically endangered black-headed spider monkeys ( Ateles fusciceps), can weigh in at around 20 pounds (9 kilograms).
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Spider monkeys, named for the spidery impression they give as they swing, jump and crawl through the trees by their long, spindly arms, legs and ultralong tails, may only see the ground a few times in their life.Īll seven species of spider monkey are large - they're among the largest of the New World monkeys, existing only in Central and South America from Mexico to Brazil. Imagine living almost your whole life 100 feet (30 meters) up in the tree canopy, rarely ever venturing down to the first floor. A Geoffroy spider monkey ( Ateles geoffroyi) swings through the treetops, displaying the "spidery impression" from which the species gets its name.