Central American Squirrel Monkey: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Monkeys of the Americas · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. Of the five squirrel monkey species, it is the only one found outside South America, here in Central America.
2. No bosses here: neither males nor females rule over the other, an equal way of life found only in this squirrel monkey.
3. It has a clever trick for bats that sleep in folded-leaf tents: it climbs above the tent and jumps on it to knock the bat loose.
4. Birds of prey worry it most. It peeps an alarm and dives for cover at anything bird-like, even small planes and falling leaves.
5. Squirrel monkeys have the biggest brains of any primate for their body size. Here the brain makes up about 4% of its weight.

The quiz

1. What makes this squirrel monkey different from all the others?

• It lives only on islands
• It is the only one living outside South America (correct)
• It is active only at night
• It lives only in mountains

Every other squirrel monkey species lives in South America.

2. How is power shared between males and females in its groups?

• Females rule over males
• Males rule over females
• Neither sex rules the other (correct)
• The youngest rule everyone

Its groups are equal: neither sex is dominant.

3. How does it get a bat out of its leaf tent?

• It jumps onto the tent from above (correct)
• It shakes the tree trunk
• It pokes it with a stick
• It waits until night

It climbs higher, then leaps down onto the tent to dislodge the bat.

4. Which of these can make it give an alarm call?

• A rainbow
• A butterfly landing nearby
• A howler monkey calling
• A small airplane (correct)

It raises the alarm at anything that looks like a raptor, including small planes.

5. About how much of its body weight is its brain?

• About 1%
• About 4% (correct)
• About 20%
• About 10%

Its brain weighs about 4% of its body weight, very large for a primate.

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