MONKEY MONDAYS
MONKEY MONDAYS
ON MONDAYS WE WILL POST AN INTERESTING FACT OR TIDBIT ABOUT MONKEYS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD…
Did you know… Orangutans are the slowest breeding of all the primates? At eight years, they have the longest inter-birth interval of any land-based mammal. A female Orangutan will normally have her first baby between the ages of 12 and 15 years old. Babies are completely dependent on their mothers for at least the first five years of their lives and hold onto them tightly as they move through the forest canopy. With a life expectancy of 45 years, a female Orangutan will usually have no more than three babies in her lifetime which is why they are fiercely protected by conservationists to ensure their population does not decrease if they are disturbed in the wild.
Brought to you by Mel of Footsteps on the Globe
Did you know… Vervet monkeys in Uganda often fall into a trance when they’re being groomed? They also have blue skin, and sometimes steal food from each other. Watching them during their feeding time on the grounds of the Uganda Wildlife Education Center was most amusing, you could see their devious minds plotting their capers to get the tastiest treats; mangoes were their favorite. It was fascinating to watch them use their little hands to pull apart flowers and fruit, like this one diligently picking through his bouquet.
Brought to you by Shara of SKJ Travel
Did you know… The snow monkeys are Japanese Macaque and are internationally renowned for bathing in the onsens or hot springs in the Nagano prefecture of Japan. Located in the Jigokudani Yaenkoen Park, which opened to the public in 1964, the snow monkeys are able to be seen by the public. These delightful creatures are viewed in their natural surrounds. This monkey species which is native to Japan, can survive temperatures of below -15 °C.
Brought to you by Paula of Contented Traveller
Did you know… the streets of Bogotá, Colombia have some amazing street art! They even have street art featuring monkeys! Andy of South America Living came across these paintings during her recent trip to Colombia.
Did you know… monkeys will eat just about anything offered by tourists, even though it is unhealthy for them? In the picture, Pancho, who lives on La Isla de los Monos, one of the various Isletas, in lake Nicaragua, near Granada. He shares his little island with a family of hauler monkeys, Capuchin monkeys, as well as with his father and mother. Pancho likes to please tourists; so much so that those who care too little about his health and much more about shooting a good picture won’t think twice about feeding him whatever they have at hand, including cough drops that may actually cause diarrhea and be bad for his teeth.
Brought to you by Claudia Tavani of My adventures across the world
Did you know… when some monkeys get diarrhea from parasites and viruses, like the bonnet macaques of Southern India, they eat the dirt from nearby termite mounds. They have learned that eating the dirt alleviates their symptoms since the dirt contains kaolin minerals, the same ingredient found in anti-diarrhetics such as Kaopectate!
Did you know… the patas monkey, of the semi-arid areas of West Africa and East Africa, is the fastest monkey in the world. These long legged monkeys have been clocked at 34 miles an hour (55 kilometers an hour).
Did you know… The fruit of the marula tree in Africa is very popular with local monkeys. They eat over ripe marula fruits that have fallen from the trees and have become very potent, leaving them intoxicated and stumbling around the woodlands.
Did you know… Colobus monkeys have a bit of a gas problem! Living on the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, off the coast of Tanzania, they mostly eat young leaves of Indian almond trees and mango trees. These leaves cause severe gastroenteritis and abdominal pain. Colobus monkeys learned, however, that eating charcoal actually helps to alleviate these ailments (much to the annoyance of the locals, who the monkeys steal it from). It is believed that this behavior has been passed down from mother to offspring for generations.
Did you know… Bananas are actually unhealthy for monkeys? They are very high in sugar and can upset their stomachs as well as cause dental problems. Landon of Uneven Sidewalks wrote a great post which details some of the things that monkeys should and shouldn’t eat.
Did you know… Barbary macaques are the only primate, other than humans, north of the Sahara on the African continent, and it’s the only macaque living outside of Asia. One of the largest populations of Barbary macaques can be found in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
Did you know… Iguazu National Park in Argentina is home to black-capped capuchin monkeys. Andy of South America Living came across a troop of capuchins that were so friendly, they even stopped to pose for her!
Did you know… In Port Zante, St. Kitts there are about 3 monkeys for every person living on the island. A lot of people have them as pets but there are also a lot of monkeys running around, even near the beach!
Did you know… In long-tailed macaque societies, females are typically born into and remain with a single troop for life. In contrast, males may migrate between troops (young adult males typically leave their natal troop between the ages of 4 to 8 years). In order for a migrating adult or sub-adult male to be accepted into a new troop, migrating males must align themselves with a troops’ females and be accepted by those females.
Did you know… Spider monkeys get their names from their appearance as they hang onto separate branches of the trees using all of their four limbs and the tail as well.
Did you know… There are 5 types of baboons throughout Africa and Arabia? I saw this momma baboon and her baby while driving outside of Cape Town, South Africa.
Did you know… Chimpanzees are great apes (not monkeys) who are native to the continent of Africa. In their natural habitats, chimpanzees are known to use plants with medicinal value to self-medicate themselves.
Did you know… Siamangs, native to southeast Asia, often drink water by dipping a furry hand into the water or rubbing a hand on wet leaves and then slurping up the water from their fur.
Did you know… The Pygmy Marmoset is the world’s smallest monkey. It measures 117-159 millimeters (four and a half to six inches) in length and weighs 85 to 140 grams (three to five ounces).
Did you know… During mosquito season, Capuchin monkeys (found in Central and South America) crush up millipedes and rub the remains all over their bodies. This acts as a natural bug repellent.