Brachyteles

Cladus: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Theria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Ordo: Primates
Subordo: Haplorrhini
Infraordo: Simiiformes
Parvordo: Platyrrhini
Familia: Atelidae
Subfamilia: Atelinae
Genus Brachyteles
Species: B. arachnoides - B. hypoxanthus

Name

Brachyteles, Spix, 1823

Type species: Brachyteles macrotarsus Spix, 1823 (= Ateles arachnoides É. Geoffroy, 1806)

Synonyms

* Eriodes I. Geoffroy, 1829.

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The muriquis, also known as woolly spider monkeys, are the monkeys of the genus Brachyteles.[1] They are closely related to both the spider monkeys and the woolly monkeys.[1] There are two species, the Southern (B. arachnoides) and Northern Muriqui (B. hypoxanthus).[1] They are the two largest species of New World monkeys, and the northern species is one of the most endangered of all the world's monkeys. They are found only in the Atlantic coast forests of southeastern Brazil at altitudes ranging from sea level to 1500 m (495 ft).

The muriqui is 15-23 inches long without its tail and weighs from 10-20 pounds. It ranges in coloration from brown to black and the underside of their prehensile tails has no fur at the end.

Muriquis are folivores (herbivores), but will also eat significant amounts of fruit and flowers in the rainy season, as well as bark, bamboo, ferns, nectar, pollen, and seeds.

As is common to many platyrrhines, males are philopatric and females tend to move out into other groups at the onset of adolescence around 5 - 7 years of age, later reaching maturity at an average age of 11 years. On average, males reach maturity in half this time.

Observed group sizes range from 8 to 43, and contain plentiful amounts of both males and females. Muriquis are polygamous, and unlike many other primates males spend large periods of time together without significant aggressive encounters. As such, they are also not territorial.

The name "muriqui" comes from a native Tupi word meaning approximately 'largest monkey'. The arachnoides species is also known as "mono carvoeiro", which translates to "Charcoal Monkey".

References

1. ^ a b c d Groves, Colin P. (16 November 2005). "Order Primates (pp. 111-184)". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). pp. 151. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100408.