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950 Featured Specimen
Common squirrel monkey

Details

Common squirrel monkey

Saimiri sciureus

Size
25–37 cm · 0.6–1.1 kg
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Social
Lifespan

Common squirrel monkey is a mammal associated with forests. It is omnivorous and social. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters.

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 25-37 cm, weight 600 g-1.1 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 omnivorous. 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 Saimiri sciureus. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.