Variegated Spider Monkey

• Common Name: Variegated Spider Monkey
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1829
• Monkey Size: 45 to 50 cm (17.72 to 19.69 in)
• Skin Color(s): Light brown to dark
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Colombia, Venezuela

The Variegated spider monkey^[1] or brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) is an endangered species of spider monkey, a species of New World Monkey endemic to the forests of northwestern Venezuela and northern Colombia.

• The variegated spider monkey is similar in appearance to other spider monkey species. However, as their common name suggests, spider monkeys have unusually long and spindly limbs.
• Their front legs are longer than their hind legs, and their intermembrane index is around 105. They also have a long, slender prehensile tail that acts almost like a fifth limb.
• These traits make them very suspensory, allowing them to forage and travel easily in the high canopy.
• The tail length is about 75 cm (30 in), and it is very flexible and hairless distally, with rough skin for a better grip. The hands are hook-shaped with 4 elongated, curved fingers.
• The thumb is reduced, which makes it easier to swing and grasp branches, an adaptation to its strictly arboreal lifestyle.
• Spider monkeys are the largest of all New World primates, an adult male brown spider monkey weighs between 7.9 and 9.1 kg, and an adult female weighs between 7.5 and 9 kg.
• The average body length of an adult human being is around 50 cm. Its coloring varies from light brown to dark brown on the upper parts, including the head.
• The inside of the legs, arms, and tail are a lighter, bolder color. Another distinctive feature of this species is the white triangular patch on the forehead, but not all individuals have this distinctive feature.
• Some individuals also have light blue eyes, usually light brown.

• Although the Variegated spider monkey spends most of its time high up in the trees, it sometimes descends to eat dirt and drink water.
• These spider monkeys move in small groups and, instead of walking or running on all fours, move mainly by swinging and climbing through trees.
• The brown spider monkey forages primarily in the treetops, relying primarily on its senses of sight, smell, taste, and touch for sustenance.
• The variegated spider monkey is a very social diurnal species that lives in groups with several males and females.
• These monkeys often use a variety of calls to stay in contact with each other and to locate other subgroups. For example, they use so-called whinnies, mostly loud calls that give information about the location and identity of the sender. Still, they also use “ts chookis“, whoops, moans and cries.