woolly monkey

woolly monkey
either of two large New World monkeys Lagothrix lagotricha, with black skin and dark, woolly fur, and L. flavicauda, similar but with a buffy face patch and a yellow-banded tail, native to forests of the Amazon and Orinoco basins: L. lagotricha is endangered and L. flavicauda threatened.
[1875-80]

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mammal
      any of five species of densely furred South American primates (primate) found in rainforests (rainforest) of the western Amazon River basin. Woolly monkeys average 40–60 cm (16–24 inches) in length, excluding the thick and somewhat longer prehensile tail. Females weigh 7 kg (15.5 pounds) on average, males a little more. The common, or Humboldt's, woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha and related species) have short fur that, depending on the species, is tan, gray, reddish, or black; some have darker heads. The head itself is large and round, with a bare black or brown face. Their bodies are thick with sturdy limbs, and their protruding bellies have given them the Portuguese name barrigudo, or “big belly.”

      Woolly monkeys are active during the day. Gregarious, they live in small groups and are often found in the company of capuchins (capuchin monkey), howlers (howler monkey), and other monkeys. They are rather slow-moving and generally travel on all fours, although they often swing by their hands, feet, and tail or by their tail alone. On the ground they are able to stand erect, using the tail for support.

      Woolly monkeys mature at about four years and bear single young after seven to eight months' gestation. Diet in the wild consists primarily of fruit and leaves, but in captivity they accept almost any food, which can result in nutritional problems. Although placid and gentle, they need attention and must be coddled to some extent. They appear to weep when upset, and those kept as pets enjoy playing hide-and-seek.

      The yellow-tailed, or Hendee's, woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) is very different from Lagothrix and is not closely related, hence its classification as a separate genus. This species has silky mahogany-coloured fur, a whitish nose, and a yellow stripe on the underside of the tail. It is restricted to the cloud forests (cloud forest) of northern Peru and is critically endangered (endangered species); little is known of its behaviour, its ecology, or even its range. The other woolly monkeys are becoming rarer as their habitat is destroyed. Both genera belong to the family Atelidae of the New World monkeys (monkey).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Woolly monkey — Woolly Wool ly, a. 1. Consisting of wool; as, a woolly covering; a woolly fleece. [1913 Webster] 2. Resembling wool; of the nature of wool. My fleece of woolly hair. Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. Clothed with wool. Woolly breeders. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Woolly monkey — Taxobox name = Woolly monkeysMSW3 Groves|pages=151 152] image width = 220px image caption = Brown Woolly Monkey ( Lagothrix lagotricha ) regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Primates familia = Atelidae subfamilia =… …   Wikipedia

  • woolly monkey — noun large monkeys with dark skin and woolly fur of the Amazon and Orinoco basins • Hypernyms: ↑New World monkey, ↑platyrrhine, ↑platyrrhinian • Member Holonyms: ↑Lagothrix, ↑genus Lagothrix * * * noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • woolly monkey — noun Date: 1877 either of two large monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha and L. flavicauda) chiefly of the Amazon basin that have short woolly hair, long limbs, and a long prehensile tail …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Yellow-tailed woolly monkey — Yellow tailed woolly monkey[1] Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • Colombian woolly monkey — Colombian woolly monkey[1] Conservation status Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1) …   Wikipedia

  • Silvery Woolly Monkey — Taxobox name = Silvery Woolly MonkeyMSW3 Groves|pages=151 152] status = VU status system = iucn3.1 status ref = IUCN2006|assessors=Rylands et al |year=2003|id=39927|title=Lagothrix poeppigii|downloaded=11 May 2006 Database entry includes… …   Wikipedia

  • Brown Woolly Monkey — Taxobox name = Brown Woolly Monkey image width = 200px status = VU status system = iucn3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Primates familia = Atelidae genus = Lagothrix species = L. lagotricha binomial = Lagothrix… …   Wikipedia

  • Gray Woolly Monkey — Taxobox | name = Gray Woolly Monkey status = EN status system = iucn3.1 trend = unknown regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Primates familia = Atelidae genus = Lagothrix species = L. cana binomial = Lagothrix cana… …   Wikipedia

  • Colombian Woolly Monkey — Taxobox | name = Colombian Woolly Monkey status = CR status system = iucn3.1 trend = unknown regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Primates familia = Atelidae genus = Lagothrix species = L. lugens binomial = Lagothrix… …   Wikipedia

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