Kinds Of Monkeys
Categorizing and describing all the kinds of monkeys that currently exist in the world would probably fill up tomes of natural history and biology books. Currently there are more than 260 known species on the globe, all of them direct descendants of the million years old primates. To simplify the categorization process, it is enough to say there are two distinct kinds of monkeys: the old world and the new world ones. The new world monkeys are known to live in rain forest habitats in South and Central America; they all have a prehensile tail, a sort of well developed fifth arm which they use to climb trees, to hang from branches. The old world variety lacks this distinctive feature and forms a habitat on the Asian and African continents. This group includes the biggest monkey in the world, the Mandrill. Below you can find a listing of the best known kinds of monkeys.
1) The Capuchins are part of the new world kinds of monkeys. They live in the southern part of the American continent, their habitats stretch to Argentinean forests. They were first documented in the 15th century when they were discovered by Spanish explorers. These are mainly diurnal animals.
2) The Squirrel monkeys are also New World animals. They live in the tropical forests in Central America and can reach 15 inches at maturity. They have very distinctive coloring with olive at the shoulders and an orange tint of yellow on their back and extremities.
3) The Golden Lion Tamarin is a very popular type of monkey, also part of the new world classification. Their distinctive golden color has made them subjects of all sorts of legends and stories.
4) The Blue monkey, also known as the Diademed one, is among the most beautiful types of monkeys in the world. It is part of the old world group and lives in Central Africa, along the upper Congo River basin.
5) The Vervet Monkey is also part of the old world kinds of monkeys. Their appearance is unique, the color of their fur is almost white while their faces are black. These are mainly vegetarian animals living in the Barbados islands.
6) The Rhesus Macaque is one of the best known and most resistant kinds of monkeys known today. They live throughout the Asian continent and are considered by natural preservation specialists as safe, while many other species of monkeys are endangered.
7) The Baboon is the monkey which shares most of its DNA with human beings. Science however distinguishes them from apes. There are many known species of baboons, living on the African continent.
8) The Common Marmoset is one of the smallest kinds of monkeys living in the Brazilian rainforest and throughout the American continent. Their average height is 7-8 inches.
9) The Howler Monkey is one of the largest types living in South America. Their unique and sharp voices have contributed the name.
10) The Mandrill is another old world member and is known for its pretty unique coloring: from olive green to dark grey, from yellow to black.
