Primates are placental mammals
that typically
have flexible hands and feet
with opposable thumbs,
fingernails, good eyesight
(forward facing color
vision), and, especially in
the higher apes, highly
developed brains.
There are 625 species and
subspecies of primates.
One-fourth could be extinct
within 20 years.
The biological order of
Primates is divided into the
following classifications:
Great Apes:
orangutans, chimpanzees,
bonobos, lowland gorillas,
mountain gorillas, humans
Lesser Apes:
Gibbons
Higher Primates:
Neotropical Primates or New
World Monkeys, from the
Americas; Old World Monkeys,
from Africa and Asia
Prosimians:
the oldest, most “primitive”
order of primates, includes
lorises, pottos, bush
babies, tarsiers and lemurs
In this growing collection of articles from our Staying
Connected newsletters, Letters From the Field
blog and creative pieces written by our volunteers, you
will learn about a wide
variety of monkey and ape
species; their physical characteristics, habitats,
diets, social behaviors, communication styles, and
conservation status, plus beautiful photos and videos.
Click on the thumbnail photo
of the primate that you'd
like to read about.
New
World Monkeys are found from southern
Mexico to central South America, except in the high mountains. They are more
primitive than Old World monkeys. Their brains are less complex, their thumbs,
when present, are not opposable, and their nostrils are further apart and tend
to point outward. Most have 36 teeth. They have slender bodies and limbs with
long narrow hands. Most have a prehensile or partially prehensile tail.
New World monkeys include
marmosets, tamarins, capuchins, spider monkeys, woolly monkeys, howler monkeys,
squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, the saki, and the uakari.
Old
World Monkeys
are found in southern Asia, with a few
species as far north as Japan and northern China, and in all of Africa except the deserts.
The tails of Old World monkeys are never prehensile. Their nostrils are close
together and tend to point downward. Many species have cheek pouches to hold
food, and many have thick pads on their buttocks. They have 32 teeth. Old World
monkeys are more closely related to the apes and humans than they are to the new
world monkeys.
Old World monkeys include
the many species of macaque, baboons, mandrills, mangabeys, colobus monkeys,
langurs, leaf monkeys, proboscis monkeys, and guenons.
Wild
animals fascinate us all. Primates are
particularly intriguing because they
remind us of ourselves. Since seeing
them in their natural habitats is
unlikely for most of us, they are
brought to us to satisfy our curiosity
and interest. Since we are primates,
monkeys and apes are used in research on
our behalf.
Nonhuman primates,
mostly monkeys, are imported into the US by the tens of
thousands annually.
At the same time, they are bred here for trade,
entertainment, research and display. Many are kept in
inadequate, even squalid conditions. Many are recycled
as they become uncooperative pets, too old for
entertainment, surplused from zoos, or no longer needed
in research. If they are lucky their keepers seek
sanctuary for them at the end of their service.
These may not seem like
common problems, especially in New England. It may be
surprising to learn that over 13,000 monkeys live in the
conspicuously not-tropical northeastern climate of New
England. Our booming biotechnology and medical
industries use thousands of primates in research --
over 25,000 in the northeast. That's one-fourth of the
nation's total. Learn more about the numbers of nonhuman
primates in the United States on our
FAQs page.
Despite their numbers,
there are fewer than a dozen accredited primate
sanctuaries in North America.
Most sanctuaries are filled
to capacity.
New England Primate
Sanctuary is the only primate sanctuary in the
northeast. Thousands of monkeys need placement and
the need continues to grow.
Once captive, they cannot
be returned to their wild roots. Find out why on our
FAQs
page. The
outlook for their futures is dismal UNLESS we produce
reasonable and humane options.
Although captivity is never natural, sanctuary provides a more natural alternative
for their captive lives.
Excellent video about
the noble efforts of primatologist Erik Patel and
his team to protect the critically endangered silky
sifaka and its equally delicate habitat .
