UAKARI

Published January 07, 2010

UAKARI
is a New World monkeys (western hemisphere)
The name is believed to come from the indigenous term for Dutchmen; their red faces apparently reminded the locals of sun-burned Europeans… uakaris are unusual among their type of monkey in that the tail length (15-18cm) is substantially less than their head and body length (40-45cm). Their bodies are covered with long, loose hair but their heads are bald. They have almost no subcutaneous fat, so their bald faces appear almost skull like. ...they have projecting lower incisors. Four species of uakari all found in the north-western Amazon Basin. The Bald Uakari is one of the four species (two of which were only recently discovered). Uakaris are typically lethargic and silent in zoo conditions, but in the wild they are agile and active, capable of leaps of over 6 meters. They have been observed both in small groups and in larger troops of up to 100… Diurnal (active during the day) and arboreal (tree-dwelling)... They have a large repertoire of facial expressions. They are seed predators specializing in large, hard-husked fruits… also fruit pulp, flowers, and insects.