Monkeys Facts - The Marvelous World Of Monkeys

     I've actually gone to the zoo and had monkeys shout to me from their cages, "I'm in here when you're walking around like that?" This is a quote by Robin Williams. That is the sad plight of monkeys kept in the zoo. Perhaps the toughest thing to accept for any Christian is the presumed ape ancestry of man. But honestly isn't it an interesting concept to note that we have actually evolved from tail less monkeys called apes? The evidence for human evolution is overwhelming. This includes thousands of fossils, which show the progressive straightening of the spine, the increase in brain volume, and change in facial features. Wow! Interested in monkeys? Well a monkey is a primate. They are found in two main regions of the world and so they are either categorized as old world monkeys or new world monkeys. I've always had these doubts in my mind as to where these monkeys actually live and things like that.

Let's explore the world of a monkey. Several million years ago the chimpanzee and gorilla lines had already separated from one another and the orangutan line even earlier than that. They vary in shapes, sizes and colors. The new world monkeys include the Spider, Red Howler, Squirrel, Saki, Saddleback Tamarin, Lion Tamarin, Owl, Marmoset, Titi, and Ukaris. They can only be found in Central and South America. These monkeys have a prominent tail which they use as a hand for clinging on to trees and they generally spend their lives in trees. Tails that can grab and hold are called as prehensile and they are so flexible that they can grab a branch or pick up a thing as small as a peanut. They have the skill of balancing themselves onto the trees. They tend to be small and live as groups.

The old world monkeys are found on the continents of Africa and Asia including Madagascar. They include the include the Japanese Macaque, Rhesus Macaque, Gelada, Hamadryas Baboon, Hanuman Langur, Red Colobus, Black Colobus, Patas and Savannah Baboon. They are huge and unlike the new counterparts they don't have a prominent tail but still move along the trees well. But they mainly live on the ground though some live on the trees as well. Generally speaking most of the monkeys love to live in areas where umpteen trees, water and food are available. However, there are some monkeys that live in mountainous regions and in the hot dry savannahs. The diet of monkeys varies from fruits, leaves, flowers, insects, eggs, and small reptiles. Hey! Did you know that the smallest monkey is the Pygmy Marmoset which is about 6 inch long and the largest is the Mandrill which can grow up to 32 inches?

Have you ever thought of having a monkey as a pet? There is something sweet and special about an infant monkey. It is so irresistible and helpless. It may very much remind you of human babies. Every kid sees the monkey as a friendly and warm creature owing to many cartoon stories and programs. We human beings feel the need to cuddle and love and an infant monkey would do just the same. It will remain dependant on you but the fact is that it will never love you as your friend or sibling. As it grows up, you will have to face reality for it will turn into a tough adult and you might feel that now is the time to control your pet. It's easier said than done because they bring out their true colors and that's how God wants them to be.

It's high time you realize this fact and leave them in the lush green forests because that's where they belong. That's their final destination, so don't commit the sin of bringing them to your place and try to raise them the way you want them to be. It will turn into a misery for both you and the poor animal because I've personally seen one of my neighbors installing an ADT Alarm system to get rid of one such innocent pet in my neighborhood. So live and let live for monkeys do not smile because they are happy; they smile because they are anxious and frightened.