Black spider monkey

The red-faced spider monkey (Ateles paniscus) also known as the Guiana spider monkey or red-faced black spider monkey, is a species of spider monkey found in the rain forests in northern South America. The species faces issues with hunting and habitat loss, so is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Redlist. The red-faced spider monkey has long, black hair and a red or pink face that is bare except for a few short, white hairs. Infants are born with dark faces, which lighten as they age. Sexual dimorphism in the species is small; the head-body length of the male is 55.7 centimetres (21.9 in) on average, while the female is around 55.2 cm (21.7 in) in length. The male weighs around 9.1 kg (20 lb), while the female weighs around 8.4 kg (19 lb). The tail is prehensile (capable of grasping) and its fingers and limbs are long, agile and strong. The red-faced spider monkey exhibits a fission-fusion society, associating with large groups of up to 30 individuals during the night, but choosing to spend the days travelling. At night, they often sleep in large groups called bands. Bands typically consist of several females, with their respective young, along with a few males for protection. The only range size estimate was 255 hectares (630 acres), of which 220 ha (540 acres) had suitable habitat.