View source for Talk:Spider monkey

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{{dyktalk|25 March|2004|entry=...that the [[brains]] of '''[[spider monkey]]s''' are weigh twice as much as the brains of [[howler monkey]]s of equal size?}}

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==Spider monkey intelligence==
In the Times of London there is an article on the latest research by Harvard on animal intelligence, saying that spider monkeys are the third most intelligent primate after orangutans and chimpanzees. I would like to request to add this to the page. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1654998.ece Chimps knocked off the top of the IQ tree, The Times]
[[User:Mister India|Mister India]] 17:28, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

:Nobody said anything – that means it's OK! <span style="color: #800000; background-color: #FFFFA0; padding: 1px 2px 3px 2px">''Said: [[User talk:Rursus|Rursus]] [[User:Rursus/OTHITPWMEEENAE|☺]] [[User:Rursus|★]]''</span> 14:31, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

:Done, but the reference isn't the best I've seen – it erroneously dropped the position of Gorilla, which is just a little lower than that of Ateles. <span style="color: #800000; background-color: #FFFFA0; padding: 1px 2px 3px 2px">''Said: [[User talk:Rursus|Rursus]] [[User:Rursus/OTHITPWMEEENAE|☺]] [[User:Rursus|★]]''</span> 14:43, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

==Lip(s) or clits?==
"An unusually long labia in females may be mistaken for a penis; its function is unclear."<br />
See [[Loys's Ape]] where it is claimed it's the clitoris. In any case, I doubt it's a labia, rather than ''the'' labi''ae''. See also talk page there for a source to settle this issue. [[User:Dysmorodrepanis|Dysmorodrepanis]] 02:02, 16 August 2007 (UTC)

==Spider Monkey in popular culture==
the spider monkey has appeared on the maury povich show after an incident concerning a young man called maurice  <small>—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Davehird64|Davehird64]] ([[User talk:Davehird64|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Davehird64|contribs]]) 16:19, 20 November 2007 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:This is not significant. - [[User:UtherSRG|UtherSRG]] [[User_talk:UtherSRG|(talk)]] 18:51, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
::Looking at "Spider Monkey in popular culture" it seems that the entire section is not significant - an Onion story and an offhand remark?? I say delete the popular culture section. If there were more references, it could have its own page like [[Orangutans in popular culture]], but as it stands the article would be better off without what's there now.[[User:Bob98133|Bob98133]] ([[User talk:Bob98133|talk]]) 14:56, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
:::Removed section, again. - [[User:UtherSRG|UtherSRG]] [[User_talk:UtherSRG|(talk)]] 15:31, 25 November 2008 (UTC)
 
HOLD ON TIGHT SPIDER MONKEY!!?!?!  <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/69.245.117.8|69.245.117.8]] ([[User talk:69.245.117.8|talk]]) 03:35, 16 February 2009 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

== This page needs a major workover ==

The prose is really chatty/unencyclopedic throughout.
:What specifically are you refering to?[[User:Rlendog|Rlendog]] ([[User talk:Rlendog|talk]]) 00:36, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

==much more citing please==
As a scientist and primatologist much of this information not only is erroneous, but if true badly needs to be cited. ex: only chimps form fission-fusion groups. this is very wrong, as papio (baboons) species do as well.  <small>—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/201.224.93.220|201.224.93.220]] ([[User talk:201.224.93.220|talk]]) 00:57, 30 June 2008 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

==it.wiki==
So, we created the [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ateles spider monkey] page on it.wiki, but this page is locked, so we can't add our link in it: we won't add en.wiki link to our page til you'll add ours.  <small>—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/79.13.158.240|79.13.158.240]] ([[User talk:79.13.158.240|talk]]) 13:46, 24 July 2008 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:I've unprotected the article, added the it: link, and added the en: link to the it: article. - [[User:UtherSRG|UtherSRG]] [[User_talk:UtherSRG|(talk)]] 15:30, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

==Behavior==
“Spider monkeys are very delcois you know whtat i mena Yaya its the best in the busiiness communicate their intentions and observations using postures and stances, such as postures of sexual receptivity and of attack.”

No I don't know whtat you mena with ''this'' monkey busiiness. [[User:Harjasusi|Harjasusi]] ([[User talk:Harjasusi|talk]]) 18:30, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

==spider monkeys foods==
spider monkeys diet hase 90% of fruit and eats seeds, nuts, wild bird eggs, insects and leaves and may be more 
     
              2/3/10 isaac  <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/58.87.1.146|58.87.1.146]] ([[User talk:58.87.1.146|talk]]) 10:03, 2 March 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

==spider monkeys predators==
raptors, jaguars, pumas, eagles and large snakes

           23/2/13                                                                                                                                                            [edit]  <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/58.87.1.146|58.87.1.146]] ([[User talk:58.87.1.146|talk]]) 10:09, 2 March 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

==Missing species==
Someone might consider adding ''[[Ateles paniscus]]'' to the species list in the taxobox. It is already included in the species list in the main text of the article. [[Special:Contributions/212.10.95.14|212.10.95.14]] ([[User talk:212.10.95.14|talk]]) 22:32, 17 May 2010 (UTC)
:Done. If you create an account, you can do this, too. :) - [[User:UtherSRG|UtherSRG]] [[User_talk:UtherSRG|(talk)]] 04:00, 18 May 2010 (UTC)
Spider monkeys live in the upper layers of the rainforest and forage in the high canopy, from 25 to 30 m (82 to 98 ft).

==sabotage?==
"genus monkey of butt" appears to be sabotage. [[User:WilliamSommerwerck|WilliamSommerwerck]] ([[User talk:WilliamSommerwerck|talk]]) 13:07, 2 December 2012 (UTC)

==Monkey's evolution==
I am not going to bother with editing due to liberal web brigade activity, but if it's admitted that monkey's evolution "theory is not supported by fossil evidence", does it need to be even mentioned, let along have it's own section? The theory that it was created on the other hand isn't even mentioned and it's way more sound  <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">— Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/50.149.198.207|50.149.198.207]] ([[User talk:50.149.198.207|talk]]) 01:18, 14 July 2013 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:Unsigned IP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

==Well which is it, then?==
There seems to be some discrepancy between two articles:

"Recent meta-analyses on primate cognition studies indicated spider monkeys are the most intelligent New World monkeys."

That can't be, because I'm pretty sure that goes to the capuchin monkey, seen [[Capuchin monkey#Intelligence|here]]:

"Capuchins are considered the most intelligent New World monkeys<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.monkeyjungle.com/amazonian.htm |title=Black-faced Capuchin |work=Amazonian Rainforest |publisher=Monkey Jungle|accessdate=2008-10-13}}{{Verify credibility|date=February 2012}}</ref> and are often used in laboratories."

One conflicts the other, is there any ''official'' smartest New World monkey? [[User:TangoFett|TangoFett]] ([[User talk:TangoFett|talk]]) 00:02, 2 August 2013 (UTC)

{{reflist-talk}}

== facts about monkeys ==

spider monkeys is a member of the primitive monkeys  <small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/192.107.141.10|192.107.141.10]] ([[User talk:192.107.141.10|talk]]) 18:05, 11 May 2015 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:Unsigned IP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

== Semi-protected edit request on 8 May 2016 ==

{{edit semi-protected|Spider monkey|answered=yes}}
<!-- Be sure to state UNAMBIGUOUSLY your suggested changes; editors who can edit the protected page need to know what to add or remove. Blank edit requests WILL be declined. -->
<!-- Begin request -->
"Male spider monkeys are the only primates other than humans who do not have a [[baculum]]." Please remove this text, or change it to "Male spider monkeys are one of the few primates who do not have a [[baculum]]."

Spider monkeys and humans are not the only primates without bacula -- [[tarsiers]] and [[woolly monkeys]] lack bacula, as well.

Sources:

Page 1954 of The Laboratory Primate by Sonia Wolfe-Coote (https://books.google.com/books?id=nCZHS0A1_lsC&printsec=frontcover#v=snippet&q=baculum&f=false)

Page 167 of Introduction to the Primates by Daris R. Swindler (https://books.google.com/books?id=WybiCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA167&dq=tarsier+woolly+spider+monkey+baculum&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixlIbKlcvMAhWCwj4KHe49AYIQ6AEIKDAC#v=onepage&q=tarsiers%20woolly%20spider%20monkey%20baculum&f=false)

Page 26 of Grzimek's encyclopedia of mammals, Volume 2 by Bernhard Grzimek (https://books.google.com/books?id=drcRAQAAMAAJ&q=tarsiers+woolly+spider+monkey+baculum&dq=tarsiers+woolly+spider+monkey+baculum&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjTmo_TlsvMAhXGcj4KHZUWAIEQ6AEILjAD)

<!-- End request -->
[[User:Oriramikad|Oriramikad]] ([[User talk:Oriramikad|talk]]) 19:30, 8 May 2016 (UTC)
:[[File:Yellow check.svg|20px|link=]] '''Partly done:'''<!-- Template:ESp --> Sources are inaccessible to me due technicalities on my end, used existing source from [[baculum]], but that one did not mention [[tarsier]] and there might be even better ways to phrase this. [[User:JWNoctis|<b><span style="color:teal;">JW</span></b>]][[User_talk:JWNoctis|<b><span style="color:midnightblue;text-shadow:darkslateblue 0em 0em 0.1em;">Noctis</span></b><sup><i>talk to me</i></sup>]] 03:15, 10 May 2016 (UTC)
::No response from original editor in 4 days. Reactivate if the change is not enough. — [[User:Andy M. Wang|'''''Andy W.''''']] <span style="font-size:88%">('''[[User talk:Andy M. Wang|<span style="color:#164">talk</span>]] ·''' [[Special:Contribs/Andy M. Wang|ctb]])</span> 08:13, 14 May 2016 (UTC)

== Semi-protected edit request on 14 July 2017 ==
{{edit semi-protected|Spider monkey|answered=yes}}
{{collapse top|Collapsed edit request}}
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{{Automatic Taxobox
|name = Spider monkey<ref name=msw3/>
|image = Ateles fusciceps Colombia.JPG
|image_caption = [[Black-headed spider monkey]] (''Ateles fusciceps'')
|taxon = Ateles
|authority = [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|E. Geoffroy]], 1806
|type_species = ''[[red-faced spider monkey|Simia paniscus]]''
|type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
|range_map = Spider monkey (Ateles) range.png
|range_map_caption = Range of the spider monkeys
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = 
''[[white-fronted spider monkey|Ateles belzebuth]]''<br/>
''[[Peruvian spider monkey|Ateles chamek]]''<br/>
''[[brown spider monkey|Ateles hybridus]]''<br/>
''[[white-cheeked spider monkey|Ateles marginatus]]''<br/>
''[[black-headed spider monkey|Ateles fusciceps]]''<br/>
''[[Geoffroy's spider monkey|Ateles geoffroyi]]''<br/>
''[[red-faced spider monkey|Ateles paniscus]]''
}}

'''Spider monkeys''' of the [[genus]] '''''Ateles''''' are [[New World monkey]]s in the subfamily [[Atelinae]], family [[Atelidae]]. Like other atelines, they are found in [[tropical forest]]s of Central and South America, from southern [[Mexico]] to [[Brazil]]. The genus contains seven species, all of which are under threat; the [[black-headed spider monkey]], and [[brown spider monkey]] are critically endangered.

Disproportionately long limbs and long [[prehensile tail]]s make them one of the largest New World monkeys and give rise to their common name. Spider monkeys live in the upper layers of the rainforest, and [[forage]] in the high canopy, from {{convert|25|to|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Lang2007">{{cite web|last=Cawthon Lang|first=KA|date=April 10, 2007|title=Primate Factsheets: Black spider monkey (Ateles fisciceps) Taxonomy, Morphology, and Ecology|publisher =Wisconsin Primate Research Center (WPRC)|url=http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/black_spider_monkey| accessdate=May 20, 2009}}</ref> They primarily eat fruits, but will also occasionally consume leaves, flowers, and insects.<ref name="Lang2007"/> Due to their large size, spider monkeys require large tracts of moist evergreen forests, and prefer undisturbed primary rainforest.<ref name="Lang2007"/> They are social animals and live in bands of up to 35 individuals but will split up to forage during the day.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia|title =Spider monkey|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]]|year=2009|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/559849/spider-monkey|accessdate=May 20, 2009}}</ref>

Recent [[meta-analysis|meta-analyses]] on primate cognition studies indicated spider monkeys are the most intelligent New World monkeys.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Deaner, R.O., van Schaik, C.P. and Johnson, V.E.|year=2006|title=Do some taxa have better domain-general cognition than others? A meta-analysis|journal=Evolutionary Psychology|volume=4|url= http://www.epjournal.net/filestore/ep04149196.pdf|pages=149–196|format=[[Portable Document Format|PDF]]}}</ref> They can produce a wide range of sounds and will "bark" when threatened; other vocalisations include a whinny similar to a horse and prolonged screams.<ref name="Britannica"/>

They are an important food source due to their large size, so are widely hunted by local human populations; they are also threatened by [[habitat destruction]] due to logging and land clearing.<ref name="Britannica"/> Spider monkeys are susceptible to malaria and are used in laboratory studies of the disease.<ref name="Britannica"/> The population trend for spider monkeys is decreasing; the [[IUCN Red List]] lists one species as [[vulnerable species|vulnerable]], four species as [[endangered species|endangered]] and two species as [[Critically endangered species|critically endangered]]. The spider monkey also has a human relative by the name of Eric Nathan of Barstool Sports.


Evolutionary history
Theories abound about the evolution of the [[Atelinae|atelines]]; one theory is they are most closely related to the [[Muriqui|woolly spider monkey]]s (''Bractyteles''), and most likely split from such woolly monkeys as  (''[[Lagothrix]]'' and ''[[Oreonax]]'') in the South American lowland forest, to evolve their unique locomotory system.<ref name="Kinzey1997">{{cite book|author=Kinzey, W. G.|title=New world primates: ecology, evolution, and behavior|publisher=Aldine Transaction|year=1997|isbn=0-202-01186-0}}</ref> This theory is not supported by fossil evidence. Other theories include ''Brachyteles'', ''Lagothrix'' and ''Ateles'' in an unresolved [[Speciation|trichotomy]],<ref>{{cite book|author=Ford, S. M.|year=1986|chapter=Systematics of the New World monkeys|title=Comparative Primate Biology, Volume I: Systematics, Evolution and Anatomy|editor=Swindler, D. R. |editor2=Erwin, J.|pages=73–135|publisher=Alan R. Liss|location=New York}}</ref> and two clades, one composed of ''Ateles'' and ''Lagothrix'' and the other of ''[[Alouatta]]'' and ''Brachyteles''.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Kay, R. F.|year=1990|title=The phyletic relationships of extant and fossil Pitheciinae (Platyrrhini, Anthropoidea)|journal=[[Journal of Human Evolution]]|volume=19|pages=175–208|doi=10.1016/0047-2484(90)90016-5}}</ref> More recent molecular evidence suggests the Atelinae split in the middle to late [[Miocene]] (13 [[Megaannum|Ma]]), separating spider monkeys from the woolly spider monkeys and the woolly monkeys.<ref>{{cite journal|author= Schneider, H.|title=The Current Status of the New World Monkey Phylogeny|journal=Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências|volume=72|year=2000|doi=10.1590/S0001-37652000000200005|url=http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0001-37652000000200005&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en|accessdate=May 20, 2009|issue=2|pages=165}}</ref>

Taxonomic classification
The genus contains seven species, and seven subspecies.<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Groves|pages=150–151|id=12100392}}</ref>

*'''Family [[Atelidae]]'''
**Subfamily [[Howler monkey|Alouattinae]]: howler monkeys 
**Subfamily [[Atelinae]]
***'''Genus ''Ateles''''': spider monkeys
****[[Red-faced spider monkey]], ''Ateles paniscus''
****[[White-fronted spider monkey]], ''Ateles belzebuth''
****[[Peruvian spider monkey]], ''Ateles chamek''
****[[Brown spider monkey]], ''Ateles hybridus''
****[[White-cheeked spider monkey]], ''Ateles marginatus''
****[[Black-headed spider monkey]], ''Ateles fusciceps''
*****[[Brown-headed spider monkey]], ''Ateles fusciceps fusciceps''
*****[[Colombian spider monkey]], ''Ateles fusciceps rufiventris''
****[[Geoffroy's spider monkey]], ''Ateles geoffroyi''
*****[[Hooded spider monkey]] ''Ateles geoffroyi grisescens''
*****[[Yucatan spider monkey]], ''Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis''
*****[[Mexican spider monkey]], ''Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus''
*****[[Nicaraguan spider monkey]], ''Ateles geoffroyi geoffroyi''
*****[[Ornate spider monkey]], ''Ateles geoffroyi ornatus''
***'''Genus ''[[Muriqui|Brachyteles]]''''': muriquis (woolly spider monkeys) 
***'''Genus ''[[Woolly monkey|Lagothrix]]''''': woolly monkeys
***'''Genus ''[[Yellow-tailed woolly monkey|Oreonax]]''''': the yellow-tailed woolly monkey

Anatomy and physiology
[[File:Spider monkey -Belize Zoo-8b.jpg|thumb|[[Geoffroy's spider monkey]]]]
[[File:Spider Monkey Skeleton.jpg|thumb|Spider monkey [[skeleton]] on display at [[The Museum of Osteology]], [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]]]]
Spider monkeys are among the largest New World monkeys; [[black-headed spider monkey]]s, the largest spider monkey, have an average weight of {{convert|11|kg}} for males and {{convert|9.66|kg|lb|abbr=on}} for females.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Youlatos, D.|year=2002|title=Positional behavior of black spider monkeys (''Ateles paniscus'') in French Guiana|journal=[[International Journal of Primatology]]|volume=23|issue=5|pages=1071–93}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Di Fiore |author2=A. & Campbell |author3=C. J. |year=2007|chapter=The atelines: variation in ecology, behavior, and social organization|title=Primates in perspective|editor=Campbell, C. J. |editor2=Fuentes, A. |editor3=MacKinnon, K. C. |editor4=Panger, M. |editor5=Bearder,  S.K.|location=[[New York City|New York]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|pages=155–85}}</ref> Disproportionately long, spindly limbs inspired the spider monkey's [[common name]]. Their deftly [[prehensile tail]]s,<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uUYu1308Z6wC&pg=PA60&dq=Spider+monkey+in+Classical+Maya+art&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SbSBUvX-HaKTyQHfqIHwDg&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Spider%20monkey%20in%20Classical%20Maya%20art&f=false|author=Elizabeth P. Benson|title=Birds and Beasts of Ancient Latin America|page=60}}</ref> which may be up to {{convert|89|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, have very flexible, hairless tips and skin grooves similar to [[fingerprint]]s. This adaptation to their strictly [[arboreal]] lifestyle serves as a fifth hand.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Swing Through the Trees With Amazing Spider Monkeys|url = http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/150512-spider-monkeys-prehensile-tails-vin?sf9136397=1|website = video.nationalgeographic.com|accessdate = 2015-05-13}}</ref> When the monkey walks, its arms practically drag on the ground. Unlike many monkeys, they do not use their arms for balance when walking, instead relying on their tails. The hands are long, narrow and hook-like, and  have reduced or non-existent thumbs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spider Monkeys|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/spider-monkeys/|website=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]|accessdate=20 June 2017}}</ref> The fingers are elongated and recurved.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/rainforests/spidermonkey.html|title=Rainforest Spider Monkey|publisher=Animal Corner|date=November 11, 2013|accessdate= November 12, 2013}}</ref>

Their hair is coarse, ranging in color from ruddy gold to brown and black, or white in a rare number of specimens.<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150417-ghost-monkey-albino-bear-elephant-animals-science news.nationalgeographic.com 2015-04-17 Watch Incredibly Rare White Monkeys Ghost Through a Forest]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Exclusive: Rare Ghost Monkeys Filmed in Colombia|url = http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/150417-ghost-monkeys-colombia-vin|website = video.nationalgeographic.com|accessdate = 2015-05-20}}</ref> The hands and feet are usually black. Heads are small with hairless faces. The [[nostril]]s are very far apart, which is a distinguishing feature of spider monkeys.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ateles_geoffroyi.html|work=[[Animal Diversity Web]]|title=Ateles geoffroyi|accessdate=October 2, 2007}}</ref>

Spider monkeys are highly agile, and they are said to be second only to the [[gibbon]]s in this respect. They have been seen in the wild jumping from tree to tree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.academia.edu/392092/Morphology_and_evolution_of_the_Spider_Monkey_Genus._Ateles|author=Alfred L Rosenberger, Lauren Halenar, Siobhán B. Cooke and Walter C. Hartwig|title= Morphology and evolution of thespider monkey, genus Ateles|publisher=[[Academia.edu]]|date=March 15, 2008|doi=10.1017/CBO9780511721915.002}}</ref>

{{anchor|Pseudo-penis}}
Female spider monkeys have a [[clitoris]] that is especially developed; it may be referred to as a [[pseudo-penis]] because it has an interior passage, or urethra, that makes it almost identical to the [[penis]], and retains and distributes urine droplets as the female moves around. This urine "is voided at the bases of the clitoris, flows down the shallow groove on its perineal surface, and is held by the skin folds on each side of the groove".<ref name="Dixson">{{cite book|last=Dixson|first=Alan F.|title=Primate Sexuality: Comparative Studies of the Prosimians, Monkeys, Apes, and Humans|isbn=978-0-19-954464-6|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2012|accessdate=November 22, 2012|page=364|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SY-PyKNQglIC&pg=PA364}}</ref> Researchers and observers of spider monkeys of South America look for a scrotum to determine the animal sex because these female spider monkeys have pendulous and erectile clitorises long enough to be mistaken for a penis; researchers may also determine the animal's sex by identifying [[Territory (animal)#Scent marking|scent-marking]] glands that may be present on the clitoris.<ref name="Roughgarden, 2004">{{cite book|last=Roughgarden|first=Joan|year=2004|title=Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|isbn=978-0-520-24073-5|page=40|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dASsUFtN57sC&pg=PA40&dq=Because+the+clitoris+looks+like+a+penis,+the+presence+of+a+scrotum+is+used+as+a+field+mark+to+indicate+whether+the+subject+is+male.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=z5ZkUbfAPIalrAGb14HAAQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Because%20the%20clitoris%20looks%20like%20a%20penis%2C%20the%20presence%20of%20a%20scrotum%20is%20used%20as%20a%20field%20mark%20to%20indicate%20whether%20the%20subject%20is%20male.&f=false}}</ref>

Behavior
[[File:BrownSpiderMonkey (edit2).jpg|thumb|left|175px|As is the case with all species of spider monkeys, the [[brown spider monkey]] is [[threatened]] by hunting and habitat loss.]]

Spider monkeys form loose groups of 15 to 25 individuals,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.worldanimalfoundation.net/f/SpiderMonkey.pdf|title=Spider Monkey Fact Sheet|publisher=[[World Animal Foundation]]|format=PDF|accessdate=November 10, 2013}}</ref> but can have even 30<ref>{{cite web|url= http://dept.lamar.edu/biology/Belize%20study%20abroad/critter%20pages%2012/Spider%20Monkey.htm|title=Spider monkey|publisher=[[Lamar University]]|accessdate= November 10, 2013}}</ref> to 40.<ref name=journal>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CbwyJ3mjzDkC&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=spider+monkeys+and+their+subgroups&source=bl&ots=VTu1j0gRRT&sig=USRiZZJUefXPYzSlkv5XgJX3PaY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=uhiAUvi5K4_9qAG4iYBg&ved=0CFEQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=spider%20monkeys%20and%20their%20subgroups&f=false|author= Jennifer Anne Weghorst|title=Behavioral Ecology and Fission-fusion Dynamics of Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in Lowland Wet Forest|publisher=[[Washington University]]|work=Department of Anthropology|place=[[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]|date=December 2007|pages=191–192}}</ref> During the day, groups break up into subgroups of two to eight animals. This social structure ([[Fission-fusion society|fission-fusion]]) is found in only two other types of [[primate]]s: [[chimpanzee]]s and ''[[Human|Homo sapiens]]''. The size of subgroups and the degree to which they avoid each other during the day depends on food competition and the risk of predation. The average subgroup size is between 2 and 8<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.planetwildlife.com/information/species/spider-monkey?section=behaviour|title=Spider monkey|publisher=[[Planet Wild Life]]|accessdate=November 12, 2013}}</ref> but can sometimes be up to 17 animals.<ref name=journal/> Also less common in primates, females rather than males disperse at [[puberty]] to join new groups. Males tend to stick together for their whole lives. Hence, males in a group are more likely to be related and have closer bonds than females. The strongest social bonds are formed between females and their young offspring.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animals.pawnation.com/spider-monkeys-life-canopy-3385.html|author=Corrie Agnew|title=A Spider Monkey's Life in the Canopy|publisher=PawNation|work=[[Demand Media]]|accessdate=November 10, 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Spider monkey hanging out on a boat in Belize.jpg|thumb|Spider monkey standing at the edge of a boat]]

Spider monkeys communicate their intentions and observations using postures and stances, such as postures of sexual receptivity and of attack. When a spider monkey sees a human approaching, it barks loudly similar to a dog. When a monkey is approached, it climbs to the end of the branch it is on and shakes it vigorously to scare away the possible threat. It shakes the branches with its feet, hands, or a combination while hanging from its tail. It may also scratch its limbs or body with various parts of its hands and feet. Seated monkeys may sway and make noise. Males and occasionally adult females growl menacingly at the approach of a human. If the pursuer continues to advance, the monkeys often break off live or dead tree limbs weighing up to {{convert|4|kg}} and drop them towards the intruder. They do not actually throw the branches, but twist to cause the branch to fall closer to the threat.{{clarify|date=February 2009}} The natives of the area know very well of this risk. The monkeys also defecate and urinate toward the intruder.<ref name=JoM/>

Spider monkeys are [[diurnal animal|diurnal]] and spend the night sleeping in carefully selected trees. Groups are thought to be directed by a lead female, which is responsible for planning an efficient feeding route each day. [[Personal grooming|Grooming]] is not as important to social interaction, owing perhaps to a lack of thumbs.<ref name=macalester>{{cite web|url= http://www.macalester.edu/~montgomery/spidermonkey.html|title=Spider Monkey|publisher=Mac Como Zoo|work=[[Macalester College]]|accessdate=November 10, 2013}}</ref>

Spider monkeys have been observed avoiding the upper canopy of the trees for locomotion.<ref name=chapmanresearch>{{cite web|url= http://chapmanresearch.mcgill.ca/Pdf/34_CRSpiderGroup.pdf|title= Association patterns of spider monkeys: The influence of ecology and sex on social organization|publisher=[[Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology]]|year=1990|volume=26|pages=409–414|format=PDF}}</ref> One researcher speculated this was because the thin branches at the tops of trees do not support the monkeys as well.<ref>Allen, William (English cardinal). "On standby for the new ark: if spider monkeys are chosen to ride out the 'demographic winter,' here is what latter-day Noahs will have to know." The Sciences 34.n5 (Sept-Oct 1994): 15(3). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. BENTLEY UPPER SCHOOL LIBRARY (BAISL). 6 Oct. 2009
http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=EAIM</ref>

At {{convert|107|g}}, the spider monkey [[brain]] is twice the size of the brain of a [[howler monkey]] of equivalent body size;<ref>{{cite book|author=Milton, Katharine
|title=Diet and Primate Evolution|work=Nutritional Anthropology: Biocultural Perspectives on Food and Nutrition|editor1=Alan Goodman |editor2=Darna Dufour |editor3=Gretel Pelto |place=[[Mountain View, California]]|publisher=[[Mayfield Publishing Company]]|year=2000|pages=46–54}}</ref> this is thought to be a result of the spider monkeys' complex social system and their [[frugivorous]] diets, which consist primarily of ripe fruit from a wide variety (over 150 species) of plants. This requires the monkeys to remember when and where fruit can be found. The slow development may also play a role: the monkeys may live from 20<ref name=iwe>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y9TsB3id66cC&pg=PA2478&dq=Spider+monkeys+and+age&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3JmBUqrHH8GSyQGR7oHIAg&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Spider%20monkeys%20and%20age&f=false|author=Maurice and Robert Burton|title=International Wildlife Encyclopedia|year=2002|pages=2477–2479}}</ref> to 27 years or more, and females give birth once every 17 to 45 months.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q2KzTTBMrLkC&pg=PA454&dq=Spider+monkeys+and+age&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3JmBUqrHH8GSyQGR7oHIAg&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Spider%20monkeys%20and%20age&f=false|author=Carrol L. Henderson|title=Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica|year=2002|page=454}}</ref> Gummy, presumably the oldest living spider monkey in captivity, is presumed to have been born wild in 1962 and currently resides at Fort Rickey Childrens Discovery Zoo located in Rome, NY.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fortrickey.com/oldest-spider-monkey-in-the-world-at-fort-rickey/|title=Oldest Spider Monkey In The World At Fort Rickey|publisher=Fort Rickey Childrens Discover Zoo|work=[[Fort Rickey Childrens Discovery Zoo]]|accessdate=November 13, 2014}}</ref>

Diet
[[File:Spider Monkey, Tortuguero.jpg|thumb|right|Geoffroy's spider monkey (''Ateles geoffroyi'') browsing, showing the exceptionally long limbs that give them their name.]]
The diets of spider monkeys consist of about 71.4 to 84 percent of [[fruit]]s<ref name=chapmanresearch/> and [[Nut (fruit)|nut]]s. They can live for long periods on only one or two kinds of fruits and nuts. They eat the fruits of many big forest trees, and because they swallow fruits whole, the [[seed]]s are eventually excreted and [[fertilizer|fertilized]] by the [[feces]]. Studies show the diet of spider monkeys changes their reproductive, social, and physical behavioral patterns. Most feeding happens from dawn to 10 am. Afterward, the adults rest while the young play. Through the rest of the day, they may feed infrequently until around 10 pm. If food is scarce, they may eat [[insect]]s, leaves, bird eggs, [[Bark (botany)|bark]] and [[honey]].<ref>{{cite journal|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jBh0jgWdWtsC&pg=PA1019&dq=Spider+monkeys+and+age&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3JmBUqrHH8GSyQGR7oHIAg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Spider%20monkeys%20and%20age&f=false|title=Wildlife and Plants|year=2007|publisher=[[Marshall Cavendish Corporation]]|edition=3|volume=16|page=1009}}</ref>

Spider monkeys have a unique way of getting food: a lead female is generally responsible for finding food sources. If she cannot find enough food for the group, it splits into smaller groups that forage separately.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} The traveling groups have four to nine animals. Each group is closely associated with its territory.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gordon |first=Nick|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/192index.shtml |work=BBC Wildlife Magazine&nbsp;– Monkey business|title=The Spider Monkey and the Rainforest|accessdate=October 5, 2007|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070712231913/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/192index.shtml <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate=July 12, 2007}}</ref> If the group is big, it spreads out.

Reproduction
The female chooses a male from her group for mating. Both males and females use "anogenital sniffing" to check their mates for readiness for copulation.  The [[gestation]] period ranges from 226 to 232 days. Each female bears only one offspring on average, every three to four years.<ref name=macalester/>

Until six to ten months of age, infants rely completely on their mothers.<ref name=JoM>{{cite journal|last=Carpenter|first=C.R.|journal=[[Journal of Mammalogy]]|volume=16|issue=3|pages=171–180|title=Behavior of Red Spider Monkeys in Panama|date=August 1935|doi=10.2307/1374442|jstor=1374442}}</ref> Males are not involved in raising the offspring.

A mother carries her infant around her belly for the first month after birth. After this, she carries it on her lower back. The infant wraps its tail around its mother's and tightly grabs her midsection.<ref name=iwe/> Mothers are very protective of their young and are generally attentive mothers. They have been seen grabbing their young and putting them on their backs for protection and to help them navigate from tree to tree. They help the more independent young to cross by pulling branches closer together. Mothers also groom their young.

Male spider monkeys are one of the few primates who do not have a [[baculum]].<ref name="Harvey2012">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/researchers-in-museums/2012/11/26/how-did-man-lose-his-penis-bone/ |title=How Did Man Lose His Penis Bone? |first=Suzanne |last=Harvey |publisher=University College London, ''Researchers In Museums'' blog, 26 November 2012}}</ref>

In Mesoamerican cultures
Spider monkeys are found in many aspects of the [[Mesoamerica]]n cultures. In the Aztec 260-day calendar, Spider Monkey (Nahua ''Ozomatli'') serves as the name for the 11th day. In the corresponding Maya calendar, [[Howler Monkey]] (Batz) is substituted for Spider Monkey.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BgrodnbVRpEC&pg=PA76&dq=Spider+monkeys+in+Mesoamerican+culture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KaGBUuLyNMSzyAGvnoDIAg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Spider%20monkeys%20in%20Mesoamerican%20culture&f=false|author=Ann Bingham|title=South and Meso-American Mythology A to Z|publisher=[[Infobase Publishing|Facts on File Inc.]]|year=2004|page=77|isbn=0-8160-4889-4}}</ref> In present-day Maya religious feasts, spider monkey impersonators serve as a kind of demonic clowns.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mesoamerica-foundation.org/cultureandhistory/themayamonkey.html |title=The Maya Monkey|publisher=[[Meso-America Foundation]]|accessdate=November 12, 2013}}</ref> In Classical Maya art, they are ubiquitous, often shown carrying cacao pods.

References
{{Reflist|30em}}

External links
{{Commons|Ateles}}
{{Wikispecies|Ateles|spider monkey}}
*[http://members.tripod.com/uakari/ateles_paniscus.html Black Spider Monkey (Ateles paniscus)]
*[http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/links/ateles Primate Info Net ''Ateles'' Factsheets]
*[http://www.rugusavay.com/spider-monkey-pictures/ Spider Monkey Pictures]

{{Atelidae nav}}

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[[Category:Atelinae]] [[Special:Contributions/208.104.145.28|208.104.145.28]] ([[User talk:208.104.145.28|talk]]) 15:19, 14 July 2017 (UTC)

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:[[File:Red question icon with gradient background.svg|20px|link=|alt=]] '''Not done:''' it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format.<!-- Template:ESp --> I will collapse your edit request also. [[User:St170e|<span style="color:black">'''st'''</span>]][[User talk:St170e|<span style="color:red">'''170'''</span>]][[User:St170e|<span style="color:black">'''e'''</span>]] 15:31, 14 July 2017 (UTC)

== Monkeys Specific features ==

I think if better to add some specific features related to the monkey [[User:Pamoda Rivihas|Pamoda Rivihas]] ([[User talk:Pamoda Rivihas|talk]]) 07:18, 18 October 2021 (UTC)

== Gummy, Oldest Spider Monkey, now 60 ==

At the end of the Behavior section, the paragraph talks about Gummy, a spider monkey born c. 1962 that's been in captivity for many decades. The citation was dead, so I found a new one, and also that Gummy is still with us! Which is cool...

https://fortrickey.com/corporate-sponorship

...but also unfortunate the only current mention I could find is on the corporate sponsorship page.

Jay Straw [[Special:Contributions/73.240.141.48|73.240.141.48]] ([[User talk:73.240.141.48|talk]]) 05:07, 10 March 2022 (UTC)

:Here's an article celebrating Gummy's birthday: https://romesentinel.com/stories/beloved-spider-monkey-reaches-worldwide-milestone-at-fort-rickey,134734 --[[Special:Contributions/130.180.18.14|130.180.18.14]] ([[User talk:130.180.18.14|talk]]) 06:33, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::Gummy apparently passed in June of 2023. [[Special:Contributions/140.96.158.81|140.96.158.81]] ([[User talk:140.96.158.81|talk]]) 07:47, 17 July 2023 (UTC)

== this whole article is a trainwreck ==

someone please fix the grammar and tone [[Special:Contributions/208.104.51.115|208.104.51.115]] ([[User talk:208.104.51.115|talk]]) 10:11, 28 April 2022 (UTC)