Hairy Saki

• Common Name: Hairy Saki
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1823
• Monkey Size: 30 to 50 cm (11.81 to 19.69 in)
• Skin Color(s): Black
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Peru, Colombia, Brazil

The hairy saki^[1] (Pithecia hirsuta) is a species of saki monkey, a New World primate species.

• These Sakis are distinguished by their small size of 30 to 50 cm and a very heavy, dense, non-prehensile tail, adding 25 to 55 cm to their body length.
• The hairy saki’s face is partially bald but has a beard and a hood of curly black hair covering its forehead.
• The nostrils are positioned laterally on the face. These sakis are generally black, but their feet and hands are light in color.
• These coloring patterns can be considered the most uniform and simplest of the sakis, with very little difference in coloration between males and females. Both are primarily blackish agoutis.

• The species was identified by Johann Baptist von Spix in 1823 but later merged with the Mönk saki (P. monachus). Then, a 2014 study revived it as a separate species due to differences in fur coloration.
• Hairy sakis are believed to be threatened by deforestation and poaching; therefore, their population is in decline.
• Adults recognize their mates by highly specialized vocalizations; acoustic cues such as trills, whistles, and screeches are used for low-intensity aggression.
• Family groups are nuclear families formed by a monogamous couple and their young.
• Hairy sakis practice extensive allogrooming as a general social behavior that is not sexually oriented or motivated.