Some monkeys are very social, but others tend to keep to themselves.
Say the word "monkey," and three different people are likely to conjure up three very different images in their heads. That is because each continent is home to a wide variety of monkeys that each have distinct physical features. Here are just a few examples of exotic monkeys.
Geladas
According to the December 2009 edition of Smithsonian magazine, geladas spend their time eating grass, socializing with one another and sleeping on cliff ledges in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia. Their family unit is similar to that of a harem, with one male presiding over anywhere from two to 12 female geladas and their offspring. In terms of appearance, both males and females have a bald patch of skin shaped like an hourglass on their chests. The color of this hairless skin changes from light pink to red, depending on the monkey's hormone levels.
Cotton-Top Tamarins
The cotton-top tamarin has a head full of long white hair. These tiny monkeys live in northwest Colombia, though a fact sheet released by the National Primate Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison claims that there are hundreds more cotton-top tamarins living in captivity than in their natural habitat.
Spot-Nosed Guenons
According to the San Diego Zoo, these African monkeys have a lot to say, so they use nonverbal cues to communicate with one another, such as cocking their heads in different directions or motioning with their tails to explain their moods. The name comes from the bright white spot that covers this monkey's entire nose. This white nose is coupled with a snow-white beard that stretches from ear to ear. The rest of the body is various shades of gray, brown, red and black.
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