Spider monkeys are New World monkeys of the family Atelidae, subfamily Atelinae. 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.
As 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 due to their large size and slow reproduction. Consequently, the lowest treatened status assigned to a spider monkey is Vulnerable for the Red-faced Spider Monkey, the remaining all being Endangered or Critically Endangered.[2]
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.[3] The maximum recorded age of a spider monkey in the wild is 33 years.[4]
As 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 due to their large size and slow reproduction. Consequently, the lowest treatened status assigned to a spider monkey is Vulnerable for the Red-faced Spider Monkey, the remaining all being Endangered or Critically Endangered.[2]
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.[3] The maximum recorded age of a spider monkey in the wild is 33 years.[4]
