Red Uacari

Description:

Red Uacari (Cacajao calvus), Isla de los Monos, Rio Amazonas, near Iquitos, Peru

Habitat:

The Red Uacari is an arboreal primate living usually on the tree tops to to the floodes areas during the rainy season. During the dry season they leave the trees and come to the ground for feeding on seeds, fruits and flowers, sometimes insects and little animals which cross their pass. They live in bigger colonies of 5 to 40 members. Due to the specialized nutrition they have also specialized teeth: very strong mandibules and large, but slim and anteriorely declined canines. This is needed to open the harder immature fruits, seeds and nuts which other monkey would not be able to open. They have indeed 36 teeth (I2, C1, P3, M3).

Notes:

Critically endangered and vulnerable species!