Gibbon Gorilla Orangutan Chimpanzee Squirrel Monkey Lemur Rhesus Monkey

prosimian Captive mongoose lemurs, native to Madagascar. Image credit: Primate Center, Duke University The most primitive type of primate. Prosimians are ancestral to all of today's monkeys and apes, including humans. The group includes all of the lemurs, tarsiers, and lorises. Prosimians are typically, but not exclusively nocturnal, and have lower brain-to-body mass ratios than other primates. Their habitat is restricted to tropical woodlands. Prosimians are characterized by:primate monkeysapes a well-developed sense of smell with snout only partial binocular vision claws on some digits immobilized upper lips a 2:1:3:3 dental formula, i.e., 2 incisors, 1 canines, 3 premolars, 3 molars.

Gorilla

Squirrel Monkey

orangutan

Rhesus Monkey

Chimpanzee Chimpanzees are great apes that are closely related to humans. These intelligent primates live in a variety of environments in western and central Africa. Because of the rapid deforestation of their habitats, chimpanzees are an endangered species. ANATOMY Chimpanzees have very long arms (the arms are longer than the legs), and a short body. Hair and Skin: Chimpanzees are covered with black hair on most of their body (except their fingers, palms, armpits, and bottoms of their feet). Baby chimpanzees have very pale skin in the areas that have no hair and a white tuft of hair on the rump. Senses: Chimpanzees have senses very similar to ours, including hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. Face: Chimpanzees have a slight brow ridge, large ears, small nostrils, and an elongated snout. They are capable of many expressions. Chimpanzees have a hairless face except for a short, white beard in both male and female adults. Some adult females become bald. Hands and Feet: Chimpanzees' hands are very much like ours; they have four long fingers plus an opposable thumb (the thumb is shorter than the other fingers). Their feet have five toes, including an opposable big toe. Chimpanzees can grasp things with both their hands and their feet.

Chimpanzee SIZE Male chimpanzees are larger than the females. ChimpanzeesHeightWeightFemale2-3.5 ft ( m) pounds ( kg)Male3-4 ft ( m) pounds ( kg) DIET Chimpanzees are omnivores (eating plants and meat). They forage for food in the forests during the day, eating leaves, fruit, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs, tender plant shoots, and flowers. They also eat termites, ants, and small animals (they have even been known to eat young monkeys). Chimpanzees drink water, often by using a chewed leaf as a sponge to sop up the water. INTELLIGENCE AND TOOLS Chimpanzees are very intelligent and can learn extremely complex tasks. Tools: Chimpanzees often use tools in the wild. They have been observed using sticks to obtain ants and termites to eat and to scare away intruders. They also use chewed-up leaves like a sponge to sop up water to drink.

Chimpanzee LOCOMOTION Chimpanzees usually walk using all fours (on the soles of feet and the knuckles of their hands). They can walk upright (when they need to use their arms to carry something), but usually don't. Chimps are also very good at climbing trees, where they spend much of their time, including when they sleep. They can swing from branch to branch in the trees (this is called brachiating). LIFE SPAN Chimpanzees live about 60 years in captivity; their life span in the wild is only about years (like most animals, they live much longer in captivity). HABITAT Chimpanzees live in a wide variety of habitats, including tropical rain forests (in the forest edges and clearings), woodlands, swamp forests, and grasslands in western Africa. DISTRIBUTION The different subspecies of chimpanzees live in different parts of western and central Africa in 21 different countries, from the Atlantic coast to well inland. Chimpanzee populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as parts of their habitat are used by people.

Gorilla All About Gorillas Gorilla Quiz Gorillas are large, quiet, gentle apes that live in Africa. Although gorillas are frequently portrayed as aggressive, dangerous killers, they are really shy, peaceful vegetarians. Because of massive loss of habitat, these majestic primates are in great danger of going extinct. ANATOMY Gorillas have very long arms (the arms are longer than the legs), and a short, bulky body with a wide chest.Gorilla Quiz Africa Hair and Skin: Gorillas are covered with brownish hair on most of their body (except their fingers, palms, face, armpits, and bottoms of their feet). The Head: Gorillas have a very large head with a bulging forehead, a crest on top (it is called the sagittal crest, and is larger on male gorillas), tiny ears, and small, dark-brown eyes. Gorillas have no tail. Adult gorillas have 32 teeth, with large molars (flat teeth used for chewing food) and large canines (pointy teeth used for biting), which are especially large in the male gorillas. Gorillas each have a unique nose print (like we have unique fingerprints). Senses: Gorillas have senses very similar to ours, including hearing, sight (they seem to be slightly nearsighted and to have color vision), smell, taste, and touch. Hands and Feet: Gorillas' hands are very much like ours; they have five fingers, including an opposable thumb. Their feet have five toes, including an opposable big toe. Gorillas can grasp things with both their hands and their feet. SIZE Male gorillas are much larger than the females, and are almost twice as heavy. Adult male gorillas are called silverbacks because they have a saddle-shaped patch of silver hair on their backs after they are about 12 years of age.

Gorilla GorillasHeightWeightFemale4.6 ft (1.4 m)200 lb (90 kg)Male5.6 ft (1.7 m)400 lb (180 kg) DIET Gorillas are predominantly herbivores, eating mostly plant material. They forage for food in the forests during the day. They eat leaves, fruit, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs, tender plant shoots, and flowers. They have been known to eat various parts of over 200 different plant species. Occasionally, gorillas supplement their diet with termites and ants. Gorillas rarely drink water; the water contained in their diet is apparently enough to sustain them. An average adult male eats approximately 50 pounds of food a day. INTELLIGENCE AND LANGUAGE Gorillas are very intelligent and can learn extremely complex tasks. Language: Some gorillas have been taught sign language by people; these gorillas learned how to form simple sentences and communicate with people. Tools: Gorillas have never been observed using tools in the wild, although they have been taught to use them in captivity. BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL HABITS Bands of Gorillas: Gorillas are shy, social animals that are active during the day (they are diurnal). They live in small groups (or bands) of 6-7 individuals, including one silverback (adult male), a few females, and their young. When the young mature, they go off and join or form another band. Grooming: Grooming one another (cleaning the hair of another gorilla) is a major occupation among gorillas in a band. Female gorillas groom their offspring, one another, and the silverback; the silverback does not groom others

Gorilla LIFE SPAN Gorillas live about 50 years in captivity; their life span in the wild is only about 35 years (like most animals, they live much longer in captivity). HABITAT Gorillas are primarily terrestrial (although they lived in trees back in their evolutionary past). Gorillas live in tropical rain forests (in the forest edges and clearings), wet lowland forests, swamps, and abandoned fields. DISTRIBUTION The different subspecies of gorillas live in different parts of western Africa. Subspecies G. g. gorilla, the western lowland gorilla, is found at low altitudes in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. Subspecies G. g. graueri,the eastern lowland gorilla, is found in eastern Zaire. Subspecies G. g. beringei, the mountain gorilla, is found at high altitudes (from 5,400 to 12,440 feet or 1,650 to 3,800 m) in Zaire, Rwanda, and Uganda.