The Woolly Spider Monkey

The Woolly Spider Monkey, a large primate that lives in the

rainforests of South America, is endangered for many reasons including
humans; efforts to save them are taking place currently. Before
European colonization of South America, these great climbers used to
be abundant with hundreds of thousands living in South America. Now
these monkeys are very scarce with less than 1,000 left in the world.
The Northern Muriqui is one of the most endangered species in the
world, with the population decreasing by eighty percent in the past
three generations. Muriqui is another name for the Woolly Spider
Monkey, the word Muriqui comes from a native Tupi word which means
large monkey.
The Woolly Spider Monkey is a large primate with many distinct
physical features. The Muriqui length from its head to the end of its
body (not including tail) ranges from eighteen to twenty-five inches.
Furthermore its tail length is usually longer than the body itself,
ranging from twenty five to thirty one inches. This long tail helps
them with their arboreal lifestyle, swinging from tree to tree. These
monkeys weigh around twenty-six and a half pounds and have a
noticeable pot belly. Also the Woolly Spider Monkeys have two different
sub-species with unique characteristics of their hand; the Northern

Muriqui has a small vestigial thumb, while the Southern Muriqui has no
thumb at all. Additionally, the Muriqui have very long arms, which also
help with swinging throughout the trees. When hanging from a tree,
holding on to the tree with their arms they can be as tall as one and a
half meters. The Woolly Spider Monkeys have thick fur ranging in color
from yellowish-brown to black. The Muriqui have fur all over their body,
except for their face, which is black.
The Woolly Spider Monkey lives in a diverse rainforest in South
America with many predators, and uses the abundance of vegetation
for food. The Woolly Spider Monkeys only live in a small portion of
Atlantic coastal rainforests in Brazil. They also live in semi-deciduous
forest on the coast in Brazil. The average rainfall here is 1263
millimeters annually. The average annual temperature ranges from
eight degrees Celsius to thirty-five degrees Celsius. In addition, the
Woolly Spider Monkey eats leaves, fruit, seeds, flowers, vines and bark.
Furthermore, the Muriquis have many predators living in the same
forests, including the following: jaguars, eagles and snakes. The
Muriquis live in troops of five to twenty five.
The Woolly Spider Monkey is endangered for many reasons
including humans, in more ways than one. The Woolly Spider Monkey
prefers the upper levels of the forest but deforestation has made this
difficult. Additionally, only five percent of the original rainforest is left,

due to deforestation. Also, indigenous people hunt these monkeys for

their, meat as it is considered a delicacy. Furthermore, the predators
listed above also kill these monkeys, as they need to eat also.
Efforts to save the Muriquis are taking place right now. Some of
these efforts, such as saving the rainforest, are helping to save the
Muriquis indirectly; however, they are being saved nonetheless.
Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu (REGUA) has created a safe habitat
so the forest cannot be destroyed. REGUA is attempting to restore and
preserve the habitat so the Woolly Spider Monkey and other animals in
the forest do not become extinct. Furthermore REGUA is planting new
trees using seeds collected locally. REGUA also created a large wetland
over the summer as a safe haven from humans.