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Distribution
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South America
Brazil, Peru and Bolivia
Pristine tropical rainforest
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Behaviour
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Spider monkeys spend up to half their day resting; the rest of the time is split between feeding & travelling. They normally feed for short periods of 1 to 15 minutes long. They are primarily arboreal (tree living) and avoid coming down to the ground where they are slower than in the trees (normally remain at least 20 metres high). When they are given onions they get very excited and rub them over their fur to repel insects. They swing through the trees using their long arms & tail, this kind of travelling is called brachiation. When they need to run they stand up on their back legs. This species has a variety of calls including barking, growling, whistling, cheeps and hoots and can be heard up to 2km away. These calls and the appropriate postures and facial expressions have to be learnt by the young monkeys.
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Reproduction
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Breeding occurs throughout the year. Gestation (pregnancy) lasts about 32 weeks (7 1/2 months). Females produce one baby that is fully dependent on her for about 18 months when they are weaned off their mothers' milk. They are not fully independent until they are about 4 years old. They do not become sexually mature (adults) until they are about 7 years old. This gives them time to learn everything they need to know before they reproduce. Infant mortality rates are high in the wild and one in three young do not live past one year old.
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Appearance
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Black-faced black spider monkeys are covered in glossy black fur except for the face which is bare with brown/black skin. This is the second largest species of primate at the zoo and they appear very elegant. Their long arms and legs allow them to swing through the trees. On the hands there are only four fingers and no thumb, this has been reduced in size by natural selection. If these monkeys did have thumbs they would be at risk of injuring or possibly breaking them during their super fast swinging.
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Size
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Weight: Up to 7 Kilograms (15 lbs 7oz)
Length: Up to 125 cm head to tail (50 inches)
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Social Structure
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Group size varies from 4 to 18 individuals. Unusually females emigrate to a new group when they are mature adults. Males are dominant to females and about 1/4 bigger. During the day the group splits up to find food to avoid fights; this is called a fission-fusion group
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Territory Defence
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A large territory of up to 2,000 sq km is marked out using scent glands on the chest and anal regions. Male subgroups will patrol the boundary of their territory and threaten intruders with barking and branch shaking. Females generally stay within the central core area of the territory.
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Diet
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Black-faced black spider monkeys are omnivorous but 80% of their diet is fruit. Young nutritious leaves (17%), flowers (2%), honey, wood and some caterpillars and termites make up the rest of their daily diet.
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Activity Period
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Black-faced black spider monkeys, like all monkeys, are active during the day (diurnal) as they do not have good night vision.
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Predators
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Unknown
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Conservation Status
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IUCN Red List: Least concern
CITES: Not listed
Population estimate: No current estimate available.
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Threats
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Deforestation
Clearance of forest by humans for wood, agricultural land and urban development has reduced and fragmented the available habitat for these monkeys.
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Hunting
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This species is still hunted both live for the pet trade and killed for meat. They are a prime target due to their large size and noisy movement through the forest.
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Black-Faced Black Spider Monkeys at the Zoo
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Ike & Jackson
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Black-Faced Black Spider Monkeys available for adoption
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Black-Faced Black Spider Monkeys back to top
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