Nature has created on Earth a lot of unusual, sometimes frightening, and sometimes funny life forms. These funny creatures can be attributed to arachnids, amazing the imagination of anyone who sees them for the first time. Despite the dubious name, these animals are quite cute and attractive in their own way. And very interesting from the point of view of zoology.
Why are they called that?
The arachnid monkey of South America got its nickname thanks to the fifth fulcrum - the tail, which is used by it on a par with the front and hind legs. In addition, the similarity to arthropod strengthens a lean physique and long arms and legs. When an animal clings at once with all its limbs, especially stretching between adjacent trees, it creates a clear feeling that in front of you is a huge spider sitting in the center of its web. A similar impression is made by arachnid monkeys hanging on one tail and tightened their paws: like a spider on a cobweb. In all other respects, the animal is not much different from other fellow primates.
Animal description
The arachnid monkey (photo above) is the largest representative of its tribe on the entire South American continent. An adult can reach a weight of ten kilograms and grow up to 65 centimeters, and with a tail - almost up to a meter. Males are somewhat smaller than females; the front legs of most representatives are longer, although there are individuals in which they are equal. On the hands, the thumb is absent or is in its infancy, but on the feet it is well developed. Coloring in these animals may be different; the coat is quite long. Additionally, it is possible to note the insignificant size of the skull, which further increases the similarity of the monkey with a spider in the "crucified" position.
Unusual tail
The most curious are arachnids with the structure of their fifth “limb”. Firstly, it is very long - most species of monkeys of this size have a much shorter tail. Secondly, he is unusually strong and able to hold his body in weight without the help of paws. Thirdly, the last quarter meter of the tail is hairless and is equipped with strong and tenacious skin scallops. Moreover, these growths can completely replace the fingers - arachnid monkeys are able to perform very fine and precise movements with their tail. For example, take a nut from a person’s hands.
Lifestyle
Arachnid monkeys are mainly arboreal and move mainly with the help of the tail and forepaws. They usually use the rear ones as temporary support or in a resting state. These are diurnal animals gathering in a kind of colony. Typically, such flocks are not too large - ten to twenty individuals, but there are "families", the number of members of which reaches hundreds. The food of the spider monkeys is quite diverse: they eat both animal and plant foods, although they prefer seeds, fruits and leaves. They can pull eggs from nests.
The reproduction of these animals is not limited to any particular season. However, females rarely give birth - once every 3-4 years; besides, they bear only one cub. So the reproduction of the population is very slow. Pregnancy in females lasts an average of 230 days, and then even up to three years the baby remains under the supervision of a mother and is little adapted to independent life.
Arachnids in nature theoretically live in a fairly vast territory - from North Colombia to Mexico. However, for life they need rain forests, cut down for decades by man. In this connection, there are fewer and fewer places suitable for them, and this species of primates has long been threatened with extinction. Therefore, now attempts are being made to keep it in zoos - fortunately, arachnids are quite willing to breed in captivity. Another key to the success of this program is that primates adapt well afterwards in the wild.