Ryland’s Bald-faced Saki

• Common Name: Ryland’s Bald-Faced Saki
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 2014
• Monkey Size: 41 to 41 cm (16 to 16 in)
• Skin Color(s): Grizzly white
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Bolivia, Peru, Brazil

The Ryland’s Bald-Faced Saki^[1] (Pithecia rylandsi) is a controversial species of saki monkey, a New World Monkey species. It is one of the largest sakis.

• This species is easily distinguished from all other sakis by its large size, black, bare face, and highly whitish-gray hair, often making older males appear almost entirely white.
• Young males are black with medium gray.
• Adult females are nearly as intensely white as males, and their forehead hair may form white “fringes“.

• This South American monkey was named after Brazilian primatologist Anthony Rylands, a former professor of vertebrate zoology at the Federal University of Minas Gerais and founding editor of the journal Neotropical Primates.
• This species is believed to be threatened by deforestation for livestock and poaching, so its population is declining.
• Ryland’s Bald-Faced Sakis has a prominent hairline above the eyes, giving the impression of “bangs“.
• These monkeys are known for being solitary due to their calm nature and avoidance of humans.
• They exhibit a specific type of frugivore, primarily feeding on unripe fruit seeds.