Sunday, January 27, 2008

Western Lowland Gorilla


Wanto - a silverback Western Lowland Gorilla - giving me the eye. This is one of my favorite primate photos. It's interesting to observe the reaction people have when they see the facial expressions of gorillas. "They look so human."

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Siamang


Siamangs calling (female on left; male on right). The duet song can be heard from a long distance.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Brown Capuchin Monkey


Capuchin climbing a tree. These monkeys are also known as tufted capuchins because of the cap of short black hair that forms two ridges or tufts on either side of their crown. The capuchin monkey derives its name from the Capuchin monk, whose cowl the monkey's hair-pattern resembles.

Capuchins are very smart and are sometimes kept by humans. Because they are easy to train, they are see on TV commercials and movies - including the monkey named "Jack" in Pirates of the Caribbean. They have also been trained to help disabled people. Like seeing eye dogs guide blind people, capuchins act as helping 'hands' for quadriplegics.

Their diet includes fruit, seeds, insects, reptiles, birds and small mammals. With the proper nutrition, they can live up to 40 years.

Brown capuchin monkey Cebus apella

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Patas Monkey - Erythrocebus patas


The Patas monkey has long limbs and a lean body. This species is well adapted for terrestrial life (ground dwelling), although they also are able to climb trees to avoid predators. The long tail helps with balance when jumping or sitting. They are very fast for a primate, with a maximum ground speed of ~55 km per hour (34 mph) reported.

Their red-brown and white coloration helps them to hide in the tall grass where they forage for food. Both males and females have a black face with a thin white moustache.

Patas monkeys are found in across central Africa, between the Sahara in the north and the equatorial rain forests in the south.