Large, long‑limbed New‑World monkey with a small, dark‑skinned face bordered by a pale mask and lacking an opposable thumb. Pelage ranges buff, chestnut, rufous or black depending on subspecies; hands, feet and lower limbs often darker. Head–body length 30–63 cm; prehensile tail 63–85 cm with a hairless, fingerprint‑like tactile pad used as a fifth limb; mass 6–9 kg, males marginally heavier. Arms are ≈ 25 % longer than legs, enabling brachiation; hook‑like hands grasp branches.
Minimal — males slightly heavier; genital morphology conspicuous but body coloration similar
Body 30–63 cm; tail 63–85 cm
6–9 kg
≈ 27 yr wild; up to 47 yr captivity
Data deficient
Data deficient
Females 4–5 yr; males 5–6 yr
Aseasonal; conceptions recorded year‑round
Number of Offspring per Event: 1; inter‑birth interval 26–45 mo
Large, long‑limbed New‑World monkey with a small, dark‑skinned face bordered by a pale mask and lacking an opposable thumb. Pelage ranges buff, chestnut, rufous or black depending on subspecies; hands, feet and lower limbs often darker. Head–body length 30–63 cm; prehensile tail 63–85 cm with a hairless, fingerprint‑like tactile pad used as a fifth limb; mass 6–9 kg, males marginally heavier. Arms are ≈ 25 % longer than legs, enabling brachiation; hook‑like hands grasp branches.
Prefers primary and mature secondary evergreen or semi‑deciduous forest from sea level to ~1 500 m; occupies canopy and emergent strata, occasionally descending to ground at mineral licks.
Frugivore‑folivore (≈ 70–80 % ripe fruit, 15 % young leaves, plus flowers, bark & insects); key long‑distance seed disperser.
A. Social Structure & Behaviour
Activity pattern: strictly diurnal and almost entirely arboreal; spends > 90 % of its day in the upper canopy and covers 1.5 – 3 km in daily foraging loops.
Grouping: lives in large fission–fusion communities of 20 – 40 individuals that split into fluid foraging parties of 2 – 8 to track patchy fruit.
Mating system: promiscuous (polygynandrous); resident males are philopatric and form coalitions, while adolescent females disperse to neighbouring troops.
Territoriality: males cooperatively defend a core area (20–40 ha) with vocal whoops, branch shaking and scent marking; female parties overlap broadly.
Communication: repertoire includes high‑pitched whinnies, guttural barks, purring contact calls, tactile grooming, pilo‑erection displays and urine washing.
Special behaviours: uses prehensile tail as a fifth limb for rapid brachiation; occasionally engages in “bridging” by breaking small branches to cross canopy gaps; forms dawn and dusk sleeping clusters in emergent crowns.
Among the most diurnal and arboreal Neotropical primates, spending > 90 % of time in upper canopy.
Prehensile tail can support full body weight and is used as a water “ladle” from tree holes.
Females disperse at maturity while males remain natal, creating tight male kin alliances.
Known to rub lime‑leaf juice mixed with saliva over fur as natural insect repellent.
One of the fastest New‑World primates, brachiating up to 11 km h⁻¹ across 2 km daily routes.
