black spider monkeys quick facts
- Black spider monkeys live north of the Amazon River in South America.
- Their tail is longer than their body and can grip like a hand.
- Spider monkeys have almost no thumbs.
- Fruit makes up about 85% of their diet.
- A mother has one baby only every three to four years.
What is a black spider monkey?
The black spider monkey is a long-limbed monkey with glossy black fur that lives in the rainforests of South America. It is also known as the red-faced spider monkey, because its bare face is pinkish-red.
Spider monkeys get their name from their very long, thin arms, legs and tail. When one hangs from a branch with its limbs spread out, it looks a bit like a giant spider.
Britannica says there are seven species of true spider monkey, and they live in forests from southern Mexico through Central and South America. The black spider monkey is one of them. Meet the whole group in our spider monkey facts.
| Black spider monkey at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | north-eastern South America, north of the Amazon River |
| Body length | about 54 cm (21 inches), not counting the tail |
| Weight | about 8 to 9 kg (18 to 20 pounds) |
| Food | mostly ripe fruit |
| Group size | 20 to 30, splitting into smaller groups |
| Babies | one at a time, every three to four years |
| Status | Vulnerable |
Where do black spider monkeys live?
Animal Diversity Web says black spider monkeys live in South America, north of the Amazon River, in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname.
They live in tall, undisturbed rainforest, high up in the canopy. Britannica says spider monkeys roam the highest branches during the day and do not normally come down to the ground.
Life at the top of the forest suits them well. The ripe fruit they love grows high in the sunlit treetops. Find out more about their home in our Amazon rainforest facts.
What do black spider monkeys look like?
Black spider monkeys have long, coarse black hair, a pinkish-red face and a small, round head. Their bodies are slim, with a round, potbellied tummy.
Animal Diversity Web says males measure about 54.5 cm (21 inches) from head to rump and weigh about 9 kg (20 pounds). Females are a little smaller, at about 54 cm and 8.4 kg.
Their tails are longer than their bodies. Britannica says a spider monkey’s heavily furred tail is longer than the rest of it put together.
A tail like a fifth hand
A spider monkey’s tail is prehensile, which means it can grip things. It works like an extra arm or hand.
Britannica says spider monkeys can hang from branches by their tails alone and even pick up objects with them. The underside near the tip has bare skin with ridges, a bit like a fingertip, which helps it grip.
With two arms, two legs and a gripping tail, a spider monkey can hold on in five places at once. That makes it one of the most agile animals in the treetops.
Hands with no thumbs
Spider monkeys have almost no thumbs. Britannica describes their hands as thumbless.
That might sound like a problem, but it actually helps. Their long, hooked fingers work like hooks, so they can swing quickly from branch to branch without their thumbs getting in the way.
Swinging through the trees
Spider monkeys are some of the fastest movers in the rainforest canopy. Britannica says they can move swiftly through the trees, using their long tail as a fifth limb.
They swing hand over hand beneath the branches, a way of moving called brachiation. Britannica says they will even leap or drop spread-eagled from one tree to another.
Animal Diversity Web says their long arms, legs and tail help them balance as they move through the canopy.
What do black spider monkeys eat?
Black spider monkeys eat mostly fruit. Animal Diversity Web says fruit makes up about 85% of their diet, especially in the wet season, from January to April, when fruit is plentiful.
When fruit is scarce, they eat other things too. Britannica says spider monkeys also eat nuts, seeds, buds, flowers and leaves, and sometimes spiders and birds’ eggs.
Britannica says they feed most in the early part of the day.
Rainforest gardeners
Black spider monkeys play an important part in the life of the forest. Animal Diversity Web says they are important seed dispersers for many kinds of tree.
When a spider monkey eats fruit, it swallows the seeds. The seeds pass through its body and are dropped far away in its droppings, often in a good spot to grow.
WWF says black spider monkeys play a key role in spreading seeds, which helps the forest keep growing and thriving.
Life in a group
Animal Diversity Web says black spider monkeys live in large groups of 20 to 30. During the day, the group splits into smaller groups to travel, feed and rest, then comes back together.
This way of living is called fission-fusion. It helps the monkeys share out the fruit, which grows in scattered trees.
Spider monkeys are noisy. Britannica says they call to each other with a whinnying sound like a horse when they are separated, and they bark like terriers when an intruder comes near.
Britannica also says spider monkeys may break off branches and drop them on people or animals below to scare them away.
Babies
A mother black spider monkey usually has one baby at a time. Animal Diversity Web says she is pregnant for about 7.5 months, and she has a baby only once every three to four years.
The baby clings to its mother’s belly at first, then rides on her back as it grows. Britannica says young spider monkeys depend on their mothers for about a year.
Because they have babies so rarely, spider monkey numbers grow back very slowly when they are hunted or lose their homes.
How long do they live?
Animal Diversity Web says one wild female black spider monkey lived to about 38 years old, and the oldest in a zoo reached about 46.
Predators
Animal Diversity Web says predators of black spider monkeys include jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays and harpy eagles.
Living high in the canopy helps keep them safe from cats on the ground, but harpy eagles can snatch monkeys from the treetops.
Black spider monkeys in danger
Animal Diversity Web says black spider monkeys are listed as Vulnerable, because of forest clearing, hunting by people and their slow rate of breeding.
Britannica says all true spider monkey species are threatened, and most are endangered. They are widely hunted for food, and they lose their homes when forests are logged or cleared.
Protecting large areas of rainforest is the best way to help black spider monkeys, and all the other animals and plants that share their home.
A spider monkey’s day
Animal Diversity Web says black spider monkeys spend almost half their day, about 45%, resting. They spend about 29% of the day feeding and 26% travelling through the trees.
They usually rest twice a day, once from about 8 to 10 in the morning, and again from noon until about 2:30 in the afternoon.
Black spider monkeys like tall forest, with a canopy more than 25 m (80 feet) high. Animal Diversity Web says they spend about 90% of their time in the upper canopy.
A group’s home range covers about 2.5 sq km. During the day, the monkeys travel in small groups of about two or three, and never more than about nine.
The spider monkey menu
Fruit is by far the biggest part of a black spider monkey’s diet. Animal Diversity Web says it makes up about 85% of what they eat.
Leaves make up about 9.5%, flowers about 2.5%, and seeds about 2%. The last tiny part is roots and fungi. Their favourite fruit trees include figs and relatives of nutmeg.
Growing up slowly
Baby black spider monkeys grow up very slowly. Animal Diversity Web says a baby clings to its mother’s belly for four to five months, then rides on her back until it is six to nine months old.
At about 10 months old, it begins to explore on its own. It becomes independent at 15 to 18 months, but it may keep drinking its mother’s milk until it is about two years old.
Black spider monkeys become adults at four to five years old. Animal Diversity Web says they live about 20 years on average in the wild.
Three things people get wrong
Spider monkeys are not related to spiders. They are monkeys named for their long, spider-like limbs.
Spider monkeys do not need thumbs. Their hook-like hands are perfect for swinging.
Black spider monkeys do not come down to the ground much. They spend almost all their lives high in the trees.
Did you know? Spider monkeys bark like terriers when approached and may drop branches on intruders below.
Try it
Try picking up a pencil using only your fingers, without your thumb. Then imagine swinging through trees with hook-like hands.
Knowledge check
What does prehensile mean?
Show answer
Able to grip things, like a spider monkey’s tail.
Why are spider monkeys important to the forest?
Show answer
They spread seeds in their droppings.
Frequently asked questions
Where do black spider monkeys live?
Black spider monkeys live in rainforests north of the Amazon River in South America, in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname.
What do black spider monkeys eat?
They eat mostly ripe fruit, about 85% of their diet. They also eat nuts, seeds, buds, flowers and leaves, and sometimes spiders and eggs.
Why are they called spider monkeys?
Spider monkeys have very long, thin arms, legs and tails. When one hangs with its limbs spread out, it looks a little like a giant spider.
Do spider monkeys have thumbs?
Spider monkeys have almost no thumbs. Their long, hooked fingers let them swing quickly from branch to branch.
How big is a black spider monkey?
Black spider monkeys are about 54 cm long, not counting the tail, and weigh about 8 to 9 kg. Their tail is longer than their body.
Are black spider monkeys endangered?
Black spider monkeys are listed as Vulnerable because of forest clearing, hunting and their very slow breeding rate.
Sources
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan: black spider monkey — range, size, diet, group life, babies, lifespan, predators, seed dispersal and status
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: spider monkey — species, tail, thumbless hands, movement, diet, calls, babies and threats
- WWF: the Amazon — black spider monkeys as seed dispersers
