Facts about monkeys!

When I was at the age of 5 and so, I would usually get so excited over seeing a monkey especially in Batu Caves. But ever since we moved to the current house my family and I are living in, my reaction is not the same as it used to be when I was young. This is solely because about ten feet away from my back yard is a reserved forest which means there are plenty of wildlife living there and monkeys are one of them. I am so used to seeing them over the years that I can now differentiate between one monkey with another and we even have names for them. Despite having seen them for about more than ten years, it still fascinates me whenever I read facts that I never knew about them. Here are some of the facts about monkeys that you would want to know.

Firstly, monkeys are so common everywhere that they are known to live all over the world and come in various shapes, sizes and colors. As one of our closest relatives, these mammals are very intelligent and have opposable thumbs, allowing them to use tools and play games. There are more than 260 different types of monkeys. They are separated into two major categories: New World and Old World. The New World monkeys live in the Americas, while Old World monkeys live in Asia and Africa. One difference between the two categories is that Old World monkeys don't have prehensile tails whereas New World monkeys do. Old World monkeys have special pouches in their cheek where they can store food. Old World monkeys have rump pads, but New World monkeys do not. Also, Old World monkeys' nostrils are small and curved and set close together but most New World monkeys have round nostrils set far apart.

Many people think that monkeys just eat bananas, but that is not true. Monkeys are omnivores. This means that they eat meat and plant-based foods. Most monkeys eat nuts, fruits, seeds and flowers. Some monkeys also eat meat in the form of bird's eggs, small lizards, insects and spiders. But sometimes, the monkeys at our backyard even munch on bread and that is all sorts of bread. They do not seem to be picky at all. Other than that, most monkeys live in trees, but there are some that live in savannas or mountain areas. Monkey tribes stay on the move to find food, so one location is not home for very long. As one troop leaves, another comes and this goes on and on endlessly as we are currently seeing the fifth troop if I am not mistaken. Only one or two chose to stay and gets along very well with the new troop

While many monkey species are not in danger, there are some that are very close to extinction. For instance, according to a research, there are only 150 Tonkin Snub-Nosed monkeys in existence. Another monkey on the list is the Tana River Red Colobus. There are fewer than 1,000 of these monkeys left in the world. Both are listed on the 25 Most Endangered Primates list published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group.

Monkeys may seem dangerous at one point but once you get used to them and vice versa, I doubt there will anything for one to be afraid of them. Well that is of course if you do not pose any threat to them. To get to know more on this chapter of monkeys, feel free to surf this website and check on them. http://facts.randomhistory.com/2008/12/15_monkeys.html