Burnished Saki

• Common Name: Burnished Saki
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1823
• Monkey Size: 30 to 50 cm (12 to 20 in)
• Skin Color(s): Burnt tan
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Peru, Brazil

The Burnished saki^[1] is a species of saki monkey, a species of New World Monkey. It is located in central Peru and a small part of adjacent Brazil.

• Always needing a haircut, the Burnished saki is a small primate with a dark, woolly coat.
• Their partially bald face is surrounded by a thick fringed hairstyle reminiscent of their moniker, a monk.
• Adult individuals have their faces covered with burnt light brown fur.
• It is distinguished from Pythecia monachus by the facial coloration of the juveniles; juvenile males have densely flattened white hairs, and females have gray-black or tan rosts that fade to white, as opposed to the bicolored brown-white rosts of Pythecia monachus.
• Their short hind limbs are designed for fast long-distance jumps, perfect for life in trees. The tail of a Burnished saki is as thick and hairy as the rest of the body.
• These South American primates’ tails are not prehensile and often sink into the edges of branches like a particularly dirty feather duster.

• The species was described by Johann Baptist von Spix in 1823 but was later merged with the monk saki (Pythecia monachus). However, a 2014 study revived it as a separate species based on differences in the fur coloration of juvenile individuals.
• These Peruvian monkeys are shy and cautious animals entirely arboreal, high up in trees and often descending to lower levels but not to the ground.
• Usually moves on all fours but can often walk upright on a large branch and jump over gaps.
• The female gives birth to one young per breeding season, with an average family size of 4.5.
• This species is believed to be threatened by deforestation and poaching; therefore, its population is in decline.