-Grownup monkeys have sexual needs that are inherent and instinctual. Being with humans will not satisfy those needs regardless of how friendly the owner/s is.
-Sterilizing a monkey is not like sterilizing a dog or a cat.
-Monkeys that aren’t raised by their own kind are difficult
or sometimes impossible to return to the wild. Monkeys raised in human households live an unnatural life.
-Monkeys need much play time and space. Owners shouldn’t be
surprised if they find their house and much of the furniture in a mess or ransacked after leaving their monkey out.
-Cages must be large and cleaned regularly. Furthermore, keeping a monkey inside a barren cage indefinitely is cruel. It may lead to mental stress and acting out.
-A monkey may bite when startled, angered, frustrated or just plain ole playing. Their teeth are sharp and can inflict a very painful injury on a human’s thin delicate layer of skin.
-Removal of a monkey’s canine teeth is cruel and inhumane.
Monkeys without canines are helpless in the wild. As such, the defanged individual can never be returned or sent to the wild.
In addition, this procedure will not change the underlying behavioural problem/s.
-Monkeys
are
impulsive
and
unpredictable
in
their
behaviour.
-Monkeys have a particular odour, not to mention their
urine and feces. In general, they cannot be properly toilet trained.
-Proper veterinary medical care will likely be difficult.
The majority of city and town veterinarians DO NOT have training or experience in primate medicine.
-Monkeys are very energetic and active; they’ll get on
owners nerves at least some of the time but more likely much of the time.
-House training monkeys is not like training a cat or a dog. Once again, these animals are wild. There’s no house training in the wild. Monkeys poop and pee whenever they want to.
-Know the laws in your city, county, state or province before you even think about purchasing a monkey. If you get past the aforementioned requirements, you must then speak to your landlord.
-Will the owner/s walk their monkey, let it out into the yard or take it to the park? What about other animals’
20
reactions. Dogs in particular aren’t used to seeing primates.
Expect sudden aggression.
-Dressing the monkey may be possible when it’s young, but in adulthood it may be quite difficult. Besides, monkeys weren’t created to wear human clothing. Why should any monkey feel otherwise?
-Monkeys don’t understand morality or ethics. Peeing,
defecating or acting out sexually in front of guests may occur.
-There’s no guarantee that your monkey will like every
guest that enters your home. Fear or utter hatred may be the responses.
-How and where will an owner ‘rid’ themselves of their monkey child if they can no longer care for it?
-Where will the monkey be placed during vacation periods?
Will the owner/s take the monkey with them? Try finding a hotel or motel that allows monkey guests. If so, the owner/s will be responsible for any and all damages incurred. In addition, bus lines, trains and airlines are another big problem to deal with.
-Special foods for monkeys (usually not easy to obtain), clean water and plenty of love are needed daily.
-What about other pets and children in the household? What kind of family structure or dynamics can a monkey owner expect?
‘Sibling rivalry’ may occur. Yes, the monkey will likely perceive itself a child like the other siblings in the household.
This
opens
the
door
to
potentially
dangerous
situations.
Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus patas) slim, red-brown backed, gray-white abdomen, long-legged, prominent ribcage, a face containing a black brow ridge and white-coloured around the mouth.
There are 4 sub-species of Patas Monkeys. Patas Monkeys inhabits predominately treeless savannah country and semi-arid areas distributed from West Africa into East Africa but more prominent in west central Africa. A troop may consist of a dominant adult male with up to 15 individuals. In semi-arid regions Patas Monkeys must drink water 2 or 3 times every single day.
Patas Monkeys are likely the fastest terrestrial primate in
the world. They have long legs and an incredible stride, capable of running 35 mph. Although they can climb short trees, they prefer to outrun predators.
The Patas Monkey is built like a ‘Greyhound Primate’ of sorts. This monkey has the longest canines proportionate to its size in the Primate Order.
Although the Patas Monkey is quadrupedal, bipedalism occurs in emergencies or when carrying an object. They eat fruits, 21
flowers, leaves, stems, gums, insects, grubs, buds, insects, berries, seeds, lizards, young chicks and eggs.
Patas Females give birth to one infant following a
gestation period of more than 7 months.
Dangers to Patas Monkeys include habitat destruction,
pastureland and farmland expansion, big cats, birds of prey, hyenas and jackals. The IUCN has listed PM as Least Concern.
Male Vervet Monkeys weigh 11 to 18 lbs. females weigh 8 to 12 lbs. Their coat is olive-green or yellow to green-brown, the abdomen whitish and the cheeks and brows have white fur around them. Their limbs are gray-coloured and long and the genitals are blue and red.
Vervet Monkeys are diurnal, travel quadrupedally and
although terrestrial and arboreal, they tend to stay close to trees in order to evade predators.
Vervet Monkeys are the most widespread inhabitants of all African Monkeys, present in large swaths in sub-Saharan Africa; Western
Africa
(Senegal)
through
Eastern
Africa
(Sudan,
Ethiopia) and to the southern tip of South Africa. Vervet monkeys can live in wooded areas (acacia tree woodland near bodies of water) but they do not inhabit forested areas. They tend to stay near trees because they’re not fast runners.
Vervet
Monkey
groups
contain
up
to
50
individuals,
including an alpha male with related adult females and their offspring and low-ranking adult males.
Vervet Monkeys have distinct alarm calls for specific
predators which include big cats, wild cats, baboons, birds of prey, crocodiles and snakes.
Vervet Monkeys eat fruits, leaves, figs, seeds, flowers, bulb, roots and grass seeds, insects, eggs, grubs and baby chicks.
Vervet Monkeys can be atrocious pests when living near
human
habitats,
eating
bread,
crops,
and even
snatching
alcoholic beverages that are left unattended.
Dangers to Vervet Monkeys include habitat destruction,
trapping, road kill, poison, electrocution, gunshots, bush meat and canids.
Vervet Monkeys and Rhesus Macaques are the most sought
after monkey species for biomedical research.
The Barbary Macaque is one of the most widely known and identified Old World Monkeys. This monkey species inhabits forests of cedar, pine and oak in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco, and also an introduced population in Gibraltar, which happens to be the only free-roaming population of monkeys in Europe. The Barbary Macaque is diurnal, terrestrial and arboreal.
22
Unlike other Macaques males help to raise and comfort the young, not only their own young but those of other too. Females tend to prefer males who are paternal. Groups consisting of 10
to 30 individuals are gregarious, males and females intermix.
Males tend to leave upon reaching puberty females stay in the group for life.
The Barbary Macaques has a yellowish-brown to gray coloured
coat with lower sides that are lighter. The face is dark pink and a vestigial (stub looking) tail is present. Another unusual feature is that the forelegs are longer than the hind legs.
Males can weigh up to 30 lbs. females are noticeably
smaller.
Barbary Macaques eat fruits, leaves, roots and insects.
Dangers include habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation, expanding human settlement and retaliation killings for raiding crops. It is estimated that there are 12000 to 20000 individuals left in the wild. The IUCN has listed Barbary Macaques as Endangered.
The Gibraltar population of Barbary Macaques stands at 250.
This small population is controlled. Individuals on Gibraltar can sometimes be annoying to tourists, picking their pockets, pleading and begging for handouts. The IUCN has listed the Barbary Macaque as Endangered.
Rhesus Macaque’s distribution is wider than all primates
except for humans. It is diurnal, arboreal and terrestrial and a very good swimmer (upwards of .5 miles). Swimming is done to get from one place to another, to find food or to flee danger.
Rhesus Macaques are tolerant and very versatile in regards to types of habitats they’re able to live in. They’re likely to be found in tropical and temperate habitats that are semi-desert, dry, deciduous, bamboo, grasslands, woodlands and mountainous regions. Countries of habitat include Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Burma, China, India, Laos, Pakistan, Thailand and
Vietnam.
In the wild Rhesus Macaques eat fruits, seeds, buds, bark, small animals and cereals. However, the Rhesus Macaque is also a crop raider and because groups can easily move from rural to urban areas they are notorious for begging and/or stealing food from humans. They have become pests in some areas, hounding the local population and tourists.
Rhesus Macaques are more prevalent amongst humans in India,
even living in Temples; therein they’re fed as an act of worship. Humans hand out fruits, vegetables, cereals and even sweets. Groups can contain up to 200 individuals; 80 percent of which are females.
The Rhesus Macaque has a brown or gray coloured coat, a bald pink face and lower-parts are lighter brown coloured, with 23
short hair on the apex of the head. Males weigh 14 to 25 lbs.
females weigh 12 lbs. Females give birth to one infant following a gestation period of 5 to 6.5 months. The Lifespan of Rhesus Macaque in the wild is 25 years.
Dangers to Rhesus Macaques include birds of prey, dogs, weasels, big cats, crocodiles and sharks, snakes, retaliatory killings for crop raiding.
Rhesus Macaques have been heavily used in biomedical
research because of the relative closeness to humans, ease of handling and availability.
The use of Rhesus Macaques has been instrumental in
research relating to smallpox, rabies, polio vaccines and the Rhesus factor in blood, HIV/AIDS drugs, embryonic stem cell research, embryonic development, increased comprehension of the female reproductive cycle and behavioural research. The IUCN has listed the Rhesus Macaque as Least Concern.
The Japanese Macaque is indigenous solely in Japan.
Although there’s a small population of these monkeys living near Laredo, Texas they were artificially placed there in 1972.
In addition to being a terrestrial monkey, the Japanese Macaque is without doubt the northern most inhabitants of all primates except for humans, in particular the population living in Northern Honshu. Therein, since the mid-1940s the population has skyrocketed ten-fold. This is a diurnal monkey species spending much of its time in forests; in particular sub-tropical to sub-alpine forests, and broadleaf and evergreen forests (under 5000 ft.).
Male Japanese Macaques weigh 22 to 30 lbs. females weigh 17
to 22 lbs. Individuals have brown-gray fur, pinkish face and a short tail. There are up to 150000 Macaques in the wild, normally living in groups of 20 to 100 individuals, but sometimes
reaching
to
several
hundred.
Females
typically
outnumber males 3 to 1. There is a strict hierarchy system with a quite noticeable pecking order. Females give birth to one infant after a 6 month gestation period. They are promiscuous, copulating with up to a dozen males during the mating season.
Japanese Macaques are one of the most intelligent of the Old World Monkeys species. In addition to having a larger brain than other monkey species they’re tough, versatile and able to endure extremes of weather. They can control their hands and fingers with incredible dexterity.
Japanese Macaques eat fruits, seeds, roots, buds, crabs, frogs, snakes, berries, shoots, mussels and a plethora of human foods.
Japanese Macaques inhabiting the far north huddle together for warmth and dip themselves into hot springs. These behaviours 24
are passed onto others in the group and to subsequent
generations.
In 1953 Japanese researchers on the Island of Kojima took notice of a female Japanese Macaque who they later named Imo, wash sand off a dirty sweet potato. This incredible behaviour was passed onto other members of her group and to the next generation. Furthermore, Imo ingeniously washed off dirt from grains of wheat by tossing chunks into the water.
Other groups of Japanese Macaques have been observed taking
a bit out of a potato and then dipping it into salty water; most likely for the salty taste. In addition, individuals given food by scientists have been observed grabbing their fill and then leaving on two legs or even hopping on one leg to keep hold of the food in their hands.
Japanese Macaques can be a nuisance to humans. They have harassed people until given food, snuck into cars, picked pockets and incredibly used coins to obtain food from vending machines, entering homes and finding food or demanding food.
They can get vocal and even physical if need be.
Farmers have used dogs to successfully ward off crop
raiding groups of Japanese Macaques; they have an inherent fear of canines.
Japanese Macaques use vocalizations (with varying dialects between groups) as one of their tools of communication. The IUCN
has listed the Japanese Macaque as Least Concern.
The Tibetan Macaque inhabits sub-tropical areas (mixed
deciduous to evergreen) forest in China and the far northeast of India. The range extends from Huangshan in Anhui Provence reaching Tibet. In India, however the range is more limited.
Although some Tibetan Macaque groups’ range overlaps that of Rhesus Macaque the altitudes of stay for both are different, with rhesus Macaques prefer the lower/warmer areas. Tibetan Macaques grow thick fur to stay warm in cold climates.
The Tibetan Macaque has thick, long brown-coloured fur and whiskers. The face is free of hair. Infants are black and silver coloured, with changes in colour occurring at 2 years of age.
Groups of Tibetan Macaques are numbered in the dozens,
composed of multi-males multi-females and their young. Alpha males have priority mating with females. However, the reign is usually around a year. Nasty fights occur for the alpha position. In addition, other fights occur between other males.
There is a strict hierarchy system in every group.
Tibetan Macaque females give birth (usually in January or February) to one infant after a gestation period of 5 months.
Males weigh 30 to 40 lbs. females weigh 27 to 29 lbs. The Tibetan Macaque is the largest of all Macaques.
25
Males leave their groups at least once in a lifetime,
females usually stay. Larger groups tend to splinter into smaller groups.
Tibetan Macaques eat fruits, leaves, seeds, berries,
flowers, small animals, grass, roots and insects.
Lifespan in the wild is 20 to 25 years, but healthy and strong individuals may attain an age of 30. As a common rule, females are healthier than males. Dangers include habitat destruction, poaching, pesticides and herbicides and in-fighting between members. The IUCN has listed the Tibetan Macaque as Near Threatened and a population trend that is decreasing.
BABOONS:
A quite visible physical characteristic in all Baboon
species is their dog-like face. In addition, a stare, open-mouth with canines showing, or a bobbing head with teeth hidden are to be perceived as threats. Humans have been bitten and attacked by monkeys. Baboons, however, can inflict serious injuries on an unarmed man or woman. If you work thinking about working with primates or any other animal species, even small ones, you should know and understand the possible dangers to you (physical attacks and zoonotic diseases) before making your commitment.
Seek reliable/objective sources.
Hamadryas Baboons inhabit semi-desert, savannas and rocky terrains in Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen.
They always live near a water source and can survive in areas at a height of 8500 ft. The Hamadryas is the northern most of all baboon species. It was considered sacred in Ancient Egypt, considered the attendant of Thoth (an Egyptian Deity); hence its nickname ‘Sacred Baboon’.
Sexual dimorphism is quite apparent, with male Hamadryas Baboons twice the size of females. The weight range is 20 to 48
lbs. Males have a gray-brown or silver-gray coloured coat with an extended shoulder cape. Cheek hairs are lighter coloured forming a visible bushy mane. Females have an olive-brown coat.
The Ischial callosity (rump pad) on both sexes is either pink or glaring red coloured. All adults have long-tailed.
Regarding group sizes, clans are the smallest. Several
families equal a clan; several clans equal a band and several bands equal a troop.
Hamadryas
Baboon
males,
unlike
other
Baboon
species
generally stay in their own group for life. A dominant male may have up to ten females. Not only will the dominant male ferociously defend his femmes against rivals and danger, but he’ll also corral and even bite them if they dare to stray. In 26
effect, the dominant male demands absolute ownership of his femmes.
Adult males tolerate a ‘shadow male’ or ‘follower male’. He
won’t even allow aggression between his femmes. No doubt this is for social cohesion. Clan sizes range from 7 to over 20.
Hamadryas baboon junior males often befriend a young,
innocent female, mould her and upon her reaching puberty will attempt to copulate with her.
Hamadryas breeding patterns are year-round. The dominant
male gets almost all or all copulations. Sometimes junior males can sneak a mounting now and then.
Females give birth to one infant after a gestation period of 5.5 months to 6 months. Under normal conditions, birthing occurs bi-annually thereafter.
Hamadryas Baboons eat fruits, tree gums, roots, nuts, eggs,
acacia seeds, grass seeds, small vertebrates and small birds.
Hamadryas Baboons face less predatory threats than other Baboon species. However, all’s not perfect; where applicable transformation
of
habitat,
retaliatory
killings
for
crop
raiding, lions, leopards and birds of prey. The IUCN has listed Hamadryas Baboons as Least Concern.
The Mandrill (Mandrillus Sphinx) is closely related to the Drill and Baboon, especially the Drill. In the recent past, Mandrills and Drills were incorrectly classified under the Genus Papio as Baboons.
Mandrills inhabit tropical rainforests in western central Africa; specifically Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Congo. The parameters of the Mandrills range reaches south of the Sanaga River (Cameroon) extending to Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to southern Congo west of the Congo River.
Mandrills are the largest and most colourful of Old World Monkey species. They have long limbs possess an upright short-tail, an olive-green or gray coat, yellow beard, white tuffs, red and blue rump, have a quite visible red stripe down an elongated muzzle and noticeable blue coloured ridges on the side of their nose. Adult males, in particular the dominant males usually have the brightest colours, which also include the genital area and rump, to clearly distinguish them from others.
As a general rule, females are more attracted to brightly coloured males.
Sexual dimorphism is quite apparent with males twice the size of females. Males weigh 55 to 80 lbs. females weigh 25 to 35 lbs. However, unusually large males can attain a weight of 110 lbs.
Mandrills are diurnal, semi-arboreal, sleep in trees at
night but forage through the forest floor during the day. They live in large stable groups, reaching several hundred, but the 27
largest group recorded had over 1300 individuals, located in Lope’ National Park (Lagon). Groups may roam around for several miles a day in search of food. Because large Mandrill groups are quite difficult to count, a method used to attain statistical accuracy (or near accuracy) is to observe and record ‘a horde’
of Mandrills while they’re travelling in an open area.
Males leave their group, commonly re-entering the group
during the period of female oestrus cycle. Mandrill society is polygamous.
Mandrills self-scratch often; dominant males do so more than other members. Part of the reason may be stress-related. In addition, they have different calls for short-distance and long distance. In addition, Mandrills and their close relatives possess a scent gland in their sternum.
Females give birth to one infant following a gestation
period of 6 to 7 months. Mandrills in captivity can live for 31
years.
Mandrills eat fruits, seeds (even crushed), shoots, piths, leaves, stems, bark, fungi, crops, insects, invertebrates, small vertebrates and duiker.
Dangers to Mandrills include habitat destruction, bush
meat, retaliatory killings for crop raiding. Depending on the location of the group, any large predator that poses a danger to other large monkey species is also a danger to Mandrills. The IUCN has listed the Mandrill as Vulnerable.
Drills are closely related to Mandrills and Baboons,
especially
the
former.
Males
weigh
45
lbs.
but
larger
individuals may reach 100 lbs. females weigh 28 to 35 lbs. The coat on the back is olive-green, the face and ears are black, prominent grooves on the nose, the chin is red and the abdomen can be white or gray-white coloured, bi-coloured scrotum (bright pink and pale reddish-purple), the penis and anal region are red coloured. Excitement causes the pink skin to become strongly indicated. Males are more brightly coloured than are females.
The Drill is a remarkably coloured monkey. However, even the Drill cannot match the Mandrill in multi-coloured beauty.
Drills prefer to inhabit mature primary forests in Cameroon, Nigeria and on the Island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.
Drill groups usually contain 20 individuals but can reach 200 when multi-groups merge together. Smaller groups operate on a unimale system where one dominant adult male receives the most of copulations.
Males tend to leave their group, sometimes becoming
solitary. Drills have a scent gland on their sternum which they use to mark their territory. It is done by rubbing their chests on trees.
28
Females give birth to one infant following a 6 month
gestation period. Drills can live up to 30 years.
Drills eat fruits, herbs, roots, insects and small animals.
Drills in the wild may number as few as 4000 but probably no higher than 10000. In fact, they are among Africa’s most endangered primates. Their numbers are declining; dangers include habitat destruction and fragmentation, bush meat, hunting and human expansion. The IUCN has listed the Drill as Endangered.
The Proboscis Monkey inhabits the Island of Borneo (an
island in South East Asia in which portions are occupied by the sultanate of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia). They prefer coastal mangrove, swamps and riverine forests, staying close to rivers and estuaries. They are diurnal and arboreal.
Proboscis
males
have
an
unusually
large,
long
and
protruding nose; females have long noses for primates but are of no comparison to their male counterparts. Females are attracted to males with larger noses. The nose also acts as a tool to enhance shouts and calls.
Another unusual/prominent feature of the Proboscis is its extraordinarily large stomach, capable of holding 25 percent of the weight of an individual in food. The Proboscis diet and biochemical structure of their digestive system give them a permanent bloated look.