Central American Squirrel Monkey

Facts about Central American Squirrel monkey. "Scientific name for Central American Squirrel monkey is Saimiri oerstedii". Central American Squirrel monkey is a variety of squirrel monkey that belongs to the genus Saimiri of the Cebidae family. The Central American Squirrel monkey are native to Panama and the Pacific shore of Costa Rica. They are limited to the northwestern tilt of Panama, close to the border of Costa Rica, and the southern and central parts of the Pacific shore of Costa Rica.

Features of Central American Squirrel monkey

An adult Central American Squirrel Monkey attains a body length that ranges from 10 1/2 inches (26.6 cm)to 11 1/2 inches (29.2 cm), excluding its tail, which is longer than their body, with a length ranging from 14 5/16 inches (36.3 cm) to 15 5/16 inches (38.8 cm). Like with other squirrel monkey varieties, there is a substantial sexual dimorphism between the male and the female Central American Squirrel Monkey. Usually, the male monkeys weigh 16% in excess of the weight of the females. Generally, the male Central American Squirrel monkey are heavier than the female ones, with a body weight of 29.2 pounds (13.2 kg), whereas the females have a body weight of 24.5 pounds (11.11 kg).

The Central American Squirrel Monkey is a small monkey with an orange color back and a distinct white and black color facial mask around their eyes. The Central American Squirrel monkey have olive shoulders, tail and hips and white color undersides. Their feet and hands are also orange in color, and they have a black color cap on the crown of their head, and a black color tip at the end of their tail. Generally, male Central American Squirrel monkeys have paler caps than the females. The face of these monkeys is white in color and they have a black color snout and mouth.

The adult Central American Squirrel Monkey has the largest brains of all other monkey varieties in their family with respect to the size of their body, with a brain weight of 0.91 pounds, which is 4% of the weight of their body. Unlike bigger relatives, such as the spider, capuchin, and howler monkeys, these varieties of monkeys do not boast a completely prehensile tail, apart from the newborn monkeys, and their tail is chiefly used to assist with their body balance.

Diet of Central American Squirrel monkey

The Central American Squirrel Monkey is an omnivorous animal, and it feeds on fruits, other plant matter, invertebrates and a few little vertebrates.

Behavior of Central American Squirrel monkey

The Central American Squirrel Monkey lives in big groups that usually include between 20 and 75 monkeys. They are diurnal and arboreal, and most frequently move between the trees on their four legs. The Central American Squirrel monkey variety has one among the most democratic social structures of all monkey varieties. Usually, female Central American Squirrel monkeys do not form supremacy hierarchies and only the male monkey will do so during the breeding period. This monkey variety has many predators, as well as cats, raptors and snakes.

Reproduction of Central American Squirrel monkey

Female Central American Squirrel Monkey varieties turn out to be sexually mature after 2 years of their birth, whereas the male ones attain the sexual maturity after 5 years of their birth. Sexually matured female Central American Squirrel monkeys leave the birth group, but male monkeys can stay with their biological group throughout their life.

The average lifespan of the Central American Squirrel Monkey is more than 15 years.