Squirrel Monkey

Black-handed spider monkey (scientific name: Sapajus apella): It is an animal of the Atelidae family and Ateles genus. It is a monkey with the most curlable tail. It weighs 2.3-4.8 kilograms, with a head and body length of 35-49 centimeters and a tail length of 38-49 centimeters. The head is round and the top of the head is black. The nose is flat and the nostrils are open to the sides. There are two tufts of brown hair on the neck. The limbs are short and thick. The tail is very long, almost equal to the body length. The fur color is diverse, ranging from brown, deep yellow to black. The shoulders and lower abdomen are lighter in color than other parts of the body. There is a dense black hair on the top of their heads, which looks like wearing a black hat, so they are called black-handed spider monkeys.

The name "Squirrel Monkey" originates from the color of their heads, which closely resembles the pointed cap of a Jesuit.

They inhabit almost all types of lowland and submontane forests in the Amazon. This includes humid subtropical or tropical forests, but they are also found in dry forests, gallery forests, disturbed forests, and secondary forests. In northwest Argentina, Black-handed spider monkeys live in montane forests at elevations ranging from 200 to 1100 meters. The species prefers the understory and canopy of the forest but often come down from the trees to forage and play. Black-handed spider monkeys have the widest distribution range and habitat tolerance among species in the same genus. They are a widespread species in the lower Amazon. They are found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Not recommended for breeding, squirrel monkeys are distributed in tropical rainforests, mountain forests, and coastal forests in South America, such as Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia. The protection level is listed as LC in the IUCN 2010 Species Red List vet3.1.

1. Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a severe acute inflammation of the stomach and intestinal mucosa and its deep tissues.

Symptoms: In the early stage of the disease, the infected monkeys show indigestion and decreased appetite. Their diarrhea is watery or pasty, and it can turn into purulent bloody diarrhea with yellowish-red color, mixed with pus, blood clots, and mucus. At this time, the infected monkeys appear lethargic, refuse to eat, have a decrease in body temperature, and eventually die. They lower their heads, lose appetite, have a drop in body temperature, and die of shock.

Treatment methods: See the treatment for bacterial dysentery.

2. Bacterial Dysentery

Bacterial dysentery has a sudden onset and spreads rapidly. It is a common disease among squirrel monkeys in monkey facilities, especially in newly introduced monkeys. Due to thirst and hunger during transportation, they tend to overeat and drink excessively, leading to indigestion and diarrhea. If not treated in time, it quickly develops into dysentery. The main symptoms include lethargy, decreased appetite, or complete loss of appetite, severe dehydration, sunken eye sockets, emaciation, decreased body temperature, cold hands and feet, lowered head, and curled up body, and if symptoms persist for 1-2 days, death occurs.

Treatment methods: The treatment methods for enteritis and dysentery are generally similar, but different drugs should be used according to the changing conditions of the disease. When an infected monkey is found, it should be immediately isolated, and the monkey facility should be thoroughly disinfected. All monkeys in the entire group should receive medication. Generally, broad-spectrum antibiotics such as tetracycline should be administered, with an average of 2 tablets (0.5 grams) per monkey, once a day, for 2-3 consecutive days. Comprehensive treatment must be given to the infected monkeys, including oral administration of sulfanilamide (S.G.), twice a day, 0.5 grams each time, and 1 gram for the initial dose. Injection of streptomycin and chloramphenicol or injection of scutellaria and lonicerae, one dose for adult monkeys and reduced dosage for young monkeys. If there is no improvement after 2 consecutive days, oral administration of flufenamic acid, 1-2 times a day, 200 milligrams each time, or dissolve flufenamic acid in 20 milliliters of warm water and slowly administer it into the stomach through a catheter inserted through the nostril. In addition, intramuscular injection of chloramphenicol and Bai Bing Ling, one dose of 500,000 units for adult monkeys and reduced dosage for young monkeys, once a day, for 3-4 consecutive days. Careful nursing should also be provided, with more fruits or easily digestible foods given. Glucose can be added to drinking water if necessary. With these treatment methods, the cure rate is very high, reaching over 95%.

3. Pneumonia

Due to changes in weather, adult monkeys or young monkeys with weak constitutions are prone to colds. If not treated in time, it quickly develops into pneumonia and leads to death. Therefore, if an infected monkey is found, it should be immediately given cold medicine, and severe cases may require injections. Common medications include Chaihu Injection and Bingle Injection, with the same dosage as for humans. For newly introduced monkeys or sudden weather changes, it is best to use herbal remedies such as sesame, hulu tea, daqing, guyangteng, mulberry leaves, tree leaves, etc. Boil water and allow monkeys to freely eat and drink in order to prevent colds. This can not only save medical expenses but also achieve good prevention effects.

Pneumonia is one of the most common acute infectious diseases in squirrel monkeys in monkey facilities, with a wide variety of pathogens. The main pathogen is pneumococcus, which causes infection through the respiratory tract. If the infected monkey is discovered and isolated for treatment in a timely manner, it can be easily cured.

Symptoms: Similar to human pneumonia, the disease onset is sudden, mainly manifested as cough, fever, and in severe cases, prone position and abdominal breathing. The infected monkeys have decreased appetite or complete loss of appetite. Auscultation reveals obvious moist rales, irregular heart rhythm, and dullness upon percussion.

Treatment methods: Oral administration of tetracycline or erythromycin, twice a day, 2 tablets each time for adult monkeys. Intramuscular injection of penicillin (twice a day, 400,000 units each time) combined with streptomycin (twice a day, 500,000 units each time, with a reduction of 100,000 to 200,000 units for young monkeys). For monkeys with severe cough, use antitussive medications (compound licorice syrup) and administer some sugar water by gavage or allow them to drink freely. With the above treatment methods, the cure rate can reach over 95%.

Black-handed spider monkeys and foraging behaviors are noisy and destructive activities. They move from one tree to another, cracking nuts on branches. They hunt and capture anything inside by destroying and tearing open the outer skin, including vertebrates and invertebrates. Individuals that capture prey typically do not share with other members of the group. [3]

Black-handed spider monkeys are omnivores, with a significant proportion of their diet consisting of fruits. Due to their robust jaws, black-handed spider monkeys can consume larger fruits compared to other spider monkeys. Their diet includes fruits, seeds, nectar, insects, crustaceans, reptiles, insects, birds, and small mammals (such as mice and opossums). During the dry season, palm leaves are crucial for the survival of this animal.

The squirrel monkey generally does not eat meat and cannot absorb sodium from blood or muscles. Therefore, they absorb organic sodium from the crystallized salt formed by their own excrement: sweat. As we usually see, monkeys often pick each other's fur and put something in their mouths, which is to find salt to eat. This is a necessary social behavior. Like most social animals, there is a strict social hierarchy in the monkey group. They mainly express emotions and social desires by helping other monkeys clean their fur. Lower-ranking monkeys try to please higher-ranking monkeys, mother monkeys and young monkeys, and monkeys with good relationships will also clean each other, just like humans chatting and expressing emotions together.