By: Monkeygirl
![]() | RESEARCH QUESTION Why are Spider Monkeys such good tree climbers? Copyright free Image Source by Ivan Mlinaric |
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SCIENTIFIC NAME: | TYPE | DIET | GROUP | LIFESPAN | SIZE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Their scientific name is Ateles | It is a mammal | They are omnivores and eat nuts, fruit, seeds, flowers, insects, spiders | They live in groups called Troops | They can live up to 22 years | 14 to 26 inches |
Why are Spider Monkeys such good tree climbers?
I found out that Spider Monkeys are so good at climbing trees because they don’t need to use more energy to climb then they do when they walk. They also have long, lanky arms and prehensile (gripping) tails. They use all 5 to easily move from branch to branch and tree to tree.
LONG ARMS
- allow them to travel through the tree with a hand-over-hand movement
- swinging through the tree using this hand to hand motion is called brachiation
PREHENSILE TAIL
- the tail helps them hang on to a branch so their hand can go to the next
- they use their tail to hang there while they eat their food
- the spider monkey’s prehensile tail helps it be more safer when climbing trees by being able to hang on to branches
MONKEY HANDS AND FEET
- their hands have a thumb but it is more like a hook so it can grab branches better
- their feet also have hooked thumbs on their feet for when they have to use their feet to swing from branch to branch
Brown-headed Spider Monkey | A Spider Monkey Skeleton |
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Copyright free Image Source by LeaMaimone | A Spider Monkey Skeleton on Display at The Museum of Osteology. CC Public Domain by Skimsta |
Sources:
Swing Through the Trees With Amazing Spider Monkeys | National Geographic
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqzVI0CSKCU>
Spider Monkeys By National Geographic
<https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/spider-monkeys/>