By Rían deBairéad

Monkeys are vertebrates!!! Like us!!!!!

MMonkeys are omnivores so they eat leaves, berries, nuts, fruit, roots, insects, spiders, lizards and herbs. Some monkeys diet is so large they can eat over 200 different foods a year. Some even eat dirt. MMonkeys live in trees, grasslands, mountains, forests, and on high plains as well as in zoos. Monkeys live in Europe (only one specie), Asia, South America and Africa.

IIt is recommended not to look a monkey in the eye for more than 4 seconds.  Monkeys can have short periods of anger. They show anger by grinding their teeth. LLike humans, monkeys use vocalisations, facial expressions, and body movements to communicate.

 Monkeys reproduce like a human – live babies and the parents care for it. The male and female get together.  Monkeys are hairy with tails. They come in different heights and colours depending on the species.

 Monkey’s real danger, and most other animal’s real danger is us. Most of the big jungle cats— leopards, jaguars and cougars—will catch and eat monkeys whenever they get a chance.  In addition, almost every jungle or rain forest where monkeys live is also home to a species of eagle that likes to eat monkeys.  Big snakes such as pythons and boa constrictors kill and eat monkeys, and so do crocodiles and caimans.  Even chimps—which are an ape and not a monkey—sometimes catch, kill and eat small monkeys.

 There are 264 known Monkey species. The smallest Monkeys are about 6 inches long and 4 ounces. The largest ones can be up to 3 feet long and weigh up to 77 pounds.  Monkeys live for about years depending on the species.  Monkeys live in groups, known as troops, and travel together to find food.  You are able to have a monkey as a pet but they need a lot of care and attention.

  When a monkey yawns that means that either he is tired or he is mad at something.  Monkeys are most easily distinguished from apes by their tails. Apes have no tails.

 A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana.  Monkeys peel their bananas and do not eat the skins.