There are a lot of different kinds ofmonkeys. Scientists divide all of these monkeys into two largegroups based on where the monkeys live. Monkeys are either OldWorld monkeys that live in Africa or Asia, or New World monkeys thatlive in South America or Central America.
When Christopher Columbus and otherexplorers from Europe came to the Americas, they thought of theselands as the "New World". The places that they knew aboutbefore this we call the "Old World".
| SOME NEW WORLD MONKEYS | SOME OLD WORLD MONKEYS |
| Titi Monkey | |
There are differences between Old Worldand New World monkeys that can help you to tell them apart even ifyou don't know where they come from. This chart shows you someof those differences.
| | | |
| Where they live | South America, Central America | Africa and Asia |
| Type of tail | Prehensile tail | Tails are not prehensile |
| Rear side | No seat pads | Have resting seat pads that are found on their rumps- making resting and sleeping more comfortable |
| Grooming | Do not groom very much | Groom a lot |
| Tree Living | Live in trees | Can live in trees or on the ground |
| Noses | Have flat noses | Nostrils are close together |
| Size | Usually smaller than Old World | Larger than New World |
Whether they are from the New World orOld World, monkeys can live in different habitats:
- Jungle
- Rain Forest
- The Dry Plains
- Forest
- Cliffs
- Mountains
- Desert
- Trees
- On the Ground
FunFacts
Japanesemacaques live in cold snowymountains and like to take baths in hot natural springs.
Owlmonkeys live in hollow trees justlike some owls.
Langurmonkeys can be found hanging outon hotel ledges in India.
Havea monkey question? Send an E-mailto Max
