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948 Featured Specimen
Black spider monkey

Details

Black spider monkey

Ateles paniscus

Size
40–60 cm · 6–9 kg
Diet
Herbivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Social
Lifespan

Black spider monkey is a mammal associated with forests. It is herbivorous and social. Habitat change and human pressure make conservation attention important.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
NeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Its range is represented here by the Neotropics, where it uses forests. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.

Appearance

Typical length 40-60 cm, weight 6 kg-9 kg. It has a primate body plan with grasping limbs, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.

Behavior

It is mostly active by day and social. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.

Feeding

It is herbivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in forests, so movements often follow available food resources.

Reproduction

As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.

Notes

Recorded scientifically as Ateles paniscus. Habitat change and human pressure make conservation attention important. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.