Black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

Spider monkeys get their name for their extremely long, spidery limbs and prehensile tail, which acts like a fifth limb and is used for suspensory feeding ^{(4) (5)}. The coat colour of the black-handed spider monkey varies from light buff to reddish-brown or black depending on the subspecies, and, as the common name implies, the hands and feet are usually black ^{(6) (7)}. The face is hairless, with un-pigmented skin around the eyes and muzzle ⁽⁸⁾. Infants are born black but lighten in colour in some subspecies during the first five months ⁽⁶⁾.

Also known as

Central American spider monkey, Geoffroy’s spider monkey, Mono Colorado, Panama spider monkey, red spider monkey.

French

Atèle De Geoffroy.

Spanish

Mico.

Size

Male head-and-body length: 39 – 63 cm ⁽²⁾

Female head-and-body length: 31 – 45 cm ⁽²⁾

Male tail length: 70 - 86 cm ⁽²⁾

Female tail length: 64 – 75 cm ⁽²⁾

Male weight: 7.4 – 9 kg ⁽²⁾

Female weight: 6 – 8 kg ⁽²⁾

Black-handed spider monkeys are sociable animals and tend to live in multi-male, multi-female groups of 4 to 35 individuals (average around 15), although groups of up to 100 have been reported ^{(2) (7) (8)}. These are fission-fusion communities, meaning that they usually split up into smaller subgroups to forage, particularly when food resources are scarce ⁽⁶⁾. This diurnal species relies heavily on a diet of fruit, but will also eat leaves, flowers, and occasionally bark, nuts, seeds, insects, arachnids and eggs ^{(4) (8)}.

Females actively choose their mates and initiate copulation, and breeding may take place at any time of the year ⁽⁴⁾. Females give birth to a single infant every two to four years, after a gestation period of seven to eight months ^{(4) (9)}. Young are normally dependent on their mothers for three years, and reach sexual maturity at four years for females, five for males, after which females usually migrate to other groups ⁽⁷⁾.

The black-handed spider monkey ranges throughout Central America in the countries of Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama ^{(4) (5)}

An arboreal species that prefers to live in the upper levels of the canopy ⁽⁴⁾, and is found in primary and secondary rainforest, semi-deciduous forest and cloud forest, as well as mangrove swamp forest ^{(2) (5) (7)}.

Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List ⁽¹⁾ and listed on Appendix I of CITES ⁽³⁾. Subspecies: the Azuero spider monkey (A. g. azuerensis), Geoffroy’s spider monkey (A. g. geoffroyi) and Mexican spider monkey (A. g. vellerosus) are classified as Critically Endangered (CR); the ornate spider monkey (A. g. ornatus) and the Yucatán spider monkey (A. g. yucatanensis) as Endangered (EN); the black-browed spider monkey or red-bellied spider monkey (A. g. frontatus) as Vulnerable (VU); and the hooded spider monkey (A. g. grisescens) as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List ⁽¹⁾. A. g. frontatus and A. g. panamensis are listed on Appendix I of CITES ⁽³⁾.

The black-handed spider monkey, which depends upon large areas of tall forest, has suffered from habitat destruction through deforestation and conversion to agricultural lands ^{(7) (8)}. The species is also hunted for food and the pet trade in Central America, becoming locally extinct in most areas that are accessible to man ^{(7) (8)}. Unfortunately, the species is a rather vulnerable target due to its conspicuously large group numbers and noisy habits, making it easy to find ⁽⁸⁾.

A Species Survival Plan has been created for the black-handed spider monkey, which involves a cooperative breeding programme between a number of zoos working together to ensure the survival of the species ⁽¹⁰⁾. However, although this monkey is classified overall as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, several subspecies are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered, and more in-situ conservation is needed if these subspecies are to be given a good chance of long-term survival in the wild.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

For further information on the black-handed spider monkey see:

• Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
  http://www.speciesconservation.org/projects/Azuero-Spider-Monkey/586
• Animal Diversity Web:
  http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ateles_geoffroyi.html
• The Primata:
  www.theprimata.com/factsheets.html

Rowe, N. (1996) The pictorial guide to the living primates. Pogonias Press, East Hampton, New York.

Authenticated (08/05/2006) by Matt Richardson, independent primatologist and writer.

Arboreal

Living in trees.

Diurnal

Active during the day.

In-situ

In its original or natural position or range.

Prehensile

Capable of grasping.

Subspecies

A population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.

1. IUCN Red List (January, 2009)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. Richardson, M. (2006) Pers. comm.
3. CITES (January, 2006)
   http://www.cites.org
4. The Primata (April, 2006)
   http://www.theprimata.com/ateles_geoffroyi.html
5. bbc.co.uk: Science and Nature (April, 2006)
   http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/310.shtml
6. Rowe, N. (1996) The pictorial guide to the living primates. Pogonias Press, East Hampton, New York.
7. Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Minnesota (April, 2006)
   http://www.comozooconservatory.org/zoo/spidermonkey.htm
8. Animal Diversity Web (April, 2006)
   http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ateles_geoffroyi.html
9. Monkeyland (April, 2006)
   http://www.monkeyland.co.za/spidermonkey_atelesgeoffroyi%20.htm
10. St Louis Zoo (April, 2006)
    http://www.stlzoo.org/animals/abouttheanimals/mammals/lemursmonkeysapes/blackhandedspidermonkey.htm