New World Monkeys

In the rain forests of Central and South America, small, furry primates flit through the treetops. These New World monkeys live high in the trees and eat fruit, flowers, seeds, leaves, and even insects. But throughout the tropics, rain forests are being destroyed, and many of these intelligent creatures may disappear before scientists can study them.

Research Notes

“While hiking through rainforests and cruising along tropical rivers of Costa Rica, I observed the movements and behavior of three kinds of New World monkeys. I didn’t bring an alarm clock on that trip, but I didn’t need one. Each morning, the loud, low calls of howler monkeys woke me at the crack of dawn. As I headed off to breakfast, I often saw spindly spider monkeys swinging through the tree tops, looking for their own morning meal. One afternoon, I spotted a capuchin monkey climbing up a tree. The little creature had set its sights on a bright red panchira flower, which it plucked with two fingers and then ate petal by petal."