Saimiri: Squirrel Monkeys

1456 Words3 Pages

Introduction The genus Saimiri contains all squirrel monkeys of South America. They have short and thick coats with a rounded off head a short black snout and their pelage coloration varies greatly. They also have long tails that have a black tuft at the end (Shuler and Abee, 2005). Although previously believed to all belong to the same species, the squirrel monkeys have been divided into two main categories according to the shape of the white fur above their eyes. The focus of this essay will be the Black-capped squirrel monkey which is mainly distinguished from other species of squirrel monkeys by the more rounded arch of white fur above its eyes. This feature is referred to as Roman type; the arch of other squirrel monkey species is Gothic type, meaning their arch is more pointed and dramatic (Zimbler-DeLorenzo and Stone, 2011). Taxonomic Classification Order Primates Semiorder Haplorrhini Suborder Anthropoidea Infraorder Platyrrhini Superfamily Ceboidea Family Cebidea Subfamily Cebinea Genus Saimiri (Fleagle, 2013) …show more content…

. Aggression, however, is reduced in males so they may gain access to the mixed-sex troops ran by females. Females possess a pseudo-penis they use in order to intimidate other smaller monkeys in their groups (Boinski et al., 2005). Vocalization in squirrel monkeys is very important as it enhances group coordination and cohesion. It can also be used to differentiate individuals and is a communication tool when group members cannot see each other. Vocalization is especially seen when an individual feels threatened and serves as a warning sign to other troop members. Vocalization is also important to infants as they use a wide range of sounds to communicate their wellbeing to their mother (Shuler and Abee,

More about Saimiri: Squirrel Monkeys

Open Document