White-Nosed Saki Monkey

Facts about White-Nosed saki monkey. "Scientific name for White-Nosed saki monkey is Chiroptes albinasus". White-Nosed saki monkey belongs to the family pitheciidae and chiropotes genus. The White-Nosed saki monkey are also known as red-nosed bearded saki, red nosed saki and white bearded saki monkeys. The White-Nosed saki monkey are native to Brazil though they are believed to be sparsely distributed. They are particularly found on a small eastern region known as Bolivia.

Both males and female White-Nosed saki monkey differ in length though with a slight difference. The male White-Nosed saki monkey measures around 42.7 cm (16.8 inches) and the females measures 41.8 cm (16.4 inches). This is exclusive of the tails that measure 30 – 50.7 cm (11.8 to 19.9 inches).

Though they are named the white-nosed saki monkeys, the appearance of the White-Nosed saki monkey differ. This is because they have a red pinkish noses and upper lips. Just around the lips there are yellow-white hairs that can be seen growing. The White-Nosed saki monkey are the only monkeys that have a bright nose in the genus of Chiropotes.

The White-Nosed saki monkey entire body is covered with shiny jet black furs which contrast the light colored nose and upper lips. The beard has long thick black hair. The head has thick hair with a central parting. But this parting is more developed in males than the females.

The White-Nosed saki monkey tails are covered with dense, black fur and have blunt tips. For the first few months of their life, they normally have prehensile tails that changes as they grow. The jaws are deep with specialized teeth and tusk-like canines. These canines are very helpful because they help the white-nosed saki monkeys to be able to crack hard-cased fruits and seeds that have tough pods.
The White-Nosed saki monkey are diurnal meaning they are active during the day resting at night. They use this time of the day to look for food and move around on the trees. The White-Nosed saki monkey are frugivorous with a diet that contains 90 percent of fruits. But there other regions that they are known to feed on immature seeds. The rest 10 percent is concentrated on flowers, mature seeds, barks and invertebrates like ants.

The White-Nosed saki monkey are not commonly seen in the wilderness so their social structure remains unknown. But they are arboreal monkeys that have longer hind limbs that they use to jump from one tree to another. Mostly the White-Nosed saki monkey are seen moving in groups of 8 to 20 which include males, females and juveniles.

The White-Nosed saki monkey prefer dry land that is not flooded. Very few have been seen in flooded areas. The females are believed to give birth to one infant that they take care of until it is old enough to feed for itself.

The White-Nosed saki monkey are a threatened species and this is proven by the fact that they are hardly seen in the forest. Habitat destruction is one of the common threats that face White-nosed Saki Monkeys. Their habitats have been cleared to pave way for soybean farms and infrastructure development. But sadly this is believed to affect just a small portion because clearance of cattle ranch has also been witnessed.

They are also hunted for their meat and their bush tails that people use as dusters. All this has left White-nosed Saki Monkeys in a critical condition and therefore named as threatened species.