Weird and Bizarre Monkeys: Who's the Handsomest?

There are 264 known extant monkey species in the world. Monkeys are usually smaller and/or longer-tailed

than apes. The smallest monkey in the world is the Pygmy Marmoset and the largest is the Mandrill. Monkeys

may either belong to New World Monkeys or Old world Monkeys.

Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)

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The long, white mustache which extends to both sides beyond the shoulder is what makes the Emperor

Tamarin unique. It lives in the southwest Amazon Basin, in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. Its long tail measures

35 cm or 13 3/4 inches long. It spends the majority of its days in the trees with quick, safe movements and

broad jumps among the limbs.

Red-shanked Douc (Pygathrix nemaeus)

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No comment, be the judge! The attractive Red-shanked Douc is among the most colorful of all primates.

It is sometimes called the "costumed ape" for its extravagant appearance. The douc is an arboreal and

diurnal monkey that eats and sleeps in the trees of the forest. It is endemic to Southeast Asia. They are

61-76 cm tall, the tail measures 56-76 cm long, with males slightly larger than females. Males weigh up to

7 kg or 15 lbs, females up to 5 kg or 11 pounds.

Common Marmoset (Callithrix (Callithrix) jacchus)

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Not camera-shy at all, nice pose! Common Marmoset originally lived on the Northeastern coast of Brazil.

Through release (both intentional and unintentional) of captive individuals, it has expanded its range since

the 1920s to Southeast Brazil and became there an invasive species. Its diet consists of insects, spiders,

small vertebrates, bird eggs and tree sap. It spends 25-30% of its time budget searching for food. The life

expectancy of the Common Marmoset in the wild is about 10 years, although some living in captivity have

lived to 16 years.

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)

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Who's your make-up artist? The uniquely colored Mandrill is a primate of the Old-world monkey family,

closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the Drill. It is the largest of all monkey species.

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It is recognizable by its olive-colored fur and the colorful face and rump of males, a coloration that grows

stronger with sexual maturity; females have duller colors. This coloration becomes more pronounced as

the monkey becomes excited. Males can weigh up to 60 lbs or 30 kg, females about half as much (30lbs).

Unusually large males can weigh 110 lbs (50 kg). They can grow to be about 1 m long (39 in) and can survive

up to 31 years in captivity.

Coppery Titi (Callicebus cupreus)

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I am pretty sure, you just have your hair dyed. The Coppery Titi, Callicebus cupreus, is a species of titi, a

type of New World Monkey, from South America. It if found in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia Brazil and Bolivia

Golden-headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)

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That's a unique hairstyle and color! The weird-looking Golden-headed Lion Tamarin is native to Brazil. It is

found only in the lowland and tropical forest fragments in the state of Bahia, and therefore is considered to

be an endangered species.

Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor)

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Are you mad? Take it easy! Another endangered species is the Pied Tamarin. It is found in a restricted

area in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Individuals live in groups of 2 to 15 members with little intra-group

competition. Only the alpha female of the group will breed. Young tamarins are cared for primarily by the

father and turned over to the mother only to nurse, however the entire group helps with the care of the

young.

Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

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Don't be too playful, you might break a bone. The Common Squirrel Monkey is native to the tropical areas

of South America. This monkey prefers to live in the middle canopy, but will occasionally come to the ground

or go up into the high canopy. It is diurnal and is usually quiet but will utter loud cries when alarmed. It is

arboreal but sometimes it will come down to the ground. Bands or troops can be from 12-100. Occasionally,

troops as large as 500 have been seen in undisturbed forests.

Wolf's Mona Monkey (Cercopithecus wolfi)

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Is it a monkey or a wolf? Another colorful monkey is the Wolf's Mona Monkey. It is also called Wolf's Guenon

and can be found in central Africa. It lives in primary and secondary lowland rainforest and swamp forest.

Common traits of this monkey include cheek pouches, low and rounded molar cusps and simple stomachs.

Zanzibar Red Colobus (Piliocolobus kirkii)

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What kind of hairdo is that? The Zanzibar Red Colobus is native to Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. It is

also known as Kirk's Red Colobus after Sir John Kirk (1832-1922), the British Resident of Zanzibar who first

brought it to the attention of zoological science. It is now classified as an endangered species.

Bearded Tamarin (Saguinus imperator subgrisescens)

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Is it a monkey or a cat? The Bearded Emperor Tamarin is a-look-a-like of the Emperor Tamarin. It usually

lives in groups of 3-8, but can be found alone. It is situated in rain forests through Brazil and Peru. The female

gives birth to two young after a gestation of 140-145 days.

Crowned Sifaka (Propithecus coronatus)

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Is it a monkey or a bear? The Crowned Sifaka is endemic to Madagascar. It has a length of 87 to 102

centimeters, of which 47-57 centimeters are tail. It lives in dry deciduous forest. Its pelage is mostly creamy

white, with head, neck and throat dark brown. Group size is between 2 and 8 individuals.

Black-fronted Titi (Callicebus nigrifrons)

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Hey there, be careful, you might fall. The odd-looking Black-fronted Titi, scientifically named Callicebus

nigrifrons, is a species of titi, a type of New World Monkey, endemic to Brazil.

Gelada (Theropithecus gelada)

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Don't eat too much you might have stomach trouble later. The Gelada, sometimes called the Gelada Baboon,

an Old World Monkey is found only in the Ethiopian Highlands. It is largely terrestrial, spending much of its time

foraging in grasslands. While restricted at present to Ethiopia, is also known from fossil specimens found in

Africa and the Mediterranean into Asia, including some African country, Spain and India.

Pygmy Marmoset (Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea)

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Small but cute! This unique monkey is the smallest monkey in the world. Commonly called Pygmy Marmoset, it

is a native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern

Peru. It is one of the smallest primates, and the smallest monkey, with its body length ranging from 14-to-

16-centimetre (5.5 to 6.3 in) (excluding the 15-to-20-centimetre (5.9 to 7.9 in) tail). Males weigh around

140 grams (4.9 oz), and females only 120 grams (4.2 oz).

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Nicknames of this primate include "pocket monkey" and "little lion". In captivity, the Pygmy Marmoset can live

up to 11 years and are sometimes sold as pets. If an individual is taken from its family, it can die from depression

or suicide. Pet Pygmy Marmosets are extremely difficult to keep, as a baby they require feeding every two

hours for up to two weeks. Pet Pygmy Marmoset Monkeys are also known to throw feces, to attack, and to bite

their owners. These things make keeping a Pygmy Marmoset extremely difficult

Do you know that monkey brains are eaten as a delicacy in South Asia, China and Africa? Monkeys are

sometimes eaten in parts of Africa, where they can be sold as "bushmeat". But in traditional Islamic dietary

laws, monkeys are forbidden to be eaten.

Hope you enjoyed this Thank you!

For animals with the largest body parts see

Animals with the Most Prolific Body Parts

Animals with the Most Prolific Eye