There are as many as 125 different species of monkeys in the world. With the interesting facts and amazing information given below, learn more about monkeys.

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Facts About Monkey

Monkey is an animal that is found in almost every country of the world, though its species differ from one region to the other. Monkeys can be classified into either of the two groups - New World Monkeys and Old World Monkeys, two of the three groupings of simian primates. The monkeys found in Africa, central to southern Asia, Japan and India are classified as Old World monkeys, while those found in Mexico and Central and South America can be grouped as New World monkeys. The differences between the two groups of monkeys manifest themselves in the form of varying physical traits. Read on further to get some interesting facts and amazing information on monkeys.

Facts about Monkey

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Suborder: Haplorrhini

Infraorder: Simiiformes

Families: Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, Atelidae and Cercopithecidae

Species: Around 125

Length (including tail): 14 cm to 1 m (depending on the species)

Weight: 120 gm to 35 kg (depending on the species)

Smallest Species: Pygmy Marmoset (14-16 cm in length, 120-140 gm in weight)

Largest Species: Mandrill

Natural Habitat: Rain forest, islands, steppes, mountains savanna, tropical rain forest and scrubland (depending on species)

Diet: Fruit, grass, leaves, eggs, insects and spiders

Age: 45 (captivity)

Gestation Period: 4 to 8 months (depending on the species)

Number of Offspring: One

Interesting & Amazing Information on Monkeys

Monkeys never catch cold.
Yawning of a monkey means that either he is tired or he is mad at something.
Monkeys never eat a banana as it is; rather they peel it first and throw away the peel.
Howler monkeys are the loudest monkeys and their howl can be heard as far as 10 miles away.
Monkeys live in groups, known as troops, and travel together to find food.
The tip of a spider monkey's tail can support the weight of his entire body.
Monkeys live in trees, grasslands, mountains, forests and on high plains.
A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana.
Monkeys can breed at any time of the year.
Spider-monkeys have appeared in more films than any other breed of monkey.
Most of the monkeys are arboreal, while some are also terrestrial.
Monkeys use vocalizations, facial expressions and body movements to communicate.
Grinning or pulling the lip is a sign of aggression in monkeys, along with head bobbing and jerking the head and shoulders forward.
Monkeys express affection and make peace with others by grooming each other.
Some of the monkeys have prehensile tails, which can grab and hold objects.