3647 x 5302 px | 30,9 x 44,9 cm | 12,2 x 17,7 inches | 300dpi
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Found in tropical forests from southern Mexico to Brazil, spider monkeys belong to the genus Ateles; the closely related woolly spider monkeys, are in the genus Brachyteles. They require large tracts of undisturbed forest and specialize on ripe fruits, spider monkeys may be considered an indicator species. They are threatened by habitat destruction and are also highly vulnerable to hunting owing to their large size and slow reproduction. Consequently, the lowest threatened status assigned to a spider monkey is Vulnerable for the Red-faced Spider Monkey, the remaining all being Endangered or Critically Endangered. A recent comparative intelligence study gives spider monkeys a value a little above gorillas, so it is reasonable to believe that spider monkeys are among the most intelligent New World monkeys. The maximum recorded age of a spider monkey in the wild is 33 years. Disproportionately long, spindly limbs inspired the spider monkey's common name. Their deftly prehensile tails, which may be up to 89 cm (35 inches) long, have very flexible, hairless tips and skin grooves similar to fingerprints. This adaptation to the spider monkey's strictly arboreal lifestyle serves as a fifth hand. Adults reach an average body length of 50 cm (20 inches) and a weight of 6.4 kilograms (14 pounds). Spider monkeys move through the trees, with one arm stride covering up to 12 m (40 feet). The arms are very thin and very long, while the legs are shorter. When the monkey walks, its arms practically drag on the ground. Unlike many monkeys, they do not use their arms for balance when walking, instead relying on their tail. The hands are long, narrow and hooklike, and have no thumbs. The fingers are elongated and recurved.
