Northern muriqui
| Northern muriqui | |
|---|---|
| Female and infant, in Caratinga, Brazil. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Atelidae |
| Genus: | Brachyteles |
| Species: | B. hypoxanthus |
| Binomial name | |
| Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Kuhl, 1820) | |
| Northern muriqui range | |
The northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) is one of two species of muriqui. They are also known as woolly spider monkey because they exhibit the woollen pelt of woolly monkeys and the long prehensile tail of spider monkeys. Muriquis are the largest extant New World monkeys. They can reach 4.3 feet or 1.3 metres long and weight up to 7 to 10 kilograms (15 to 22 lb).
The northern muriqui is a critically endangered species, it is estimated that there are less than 1,000 mature individuals in the wild. The species is unusual among primates in that males and females are about the same size. Males are no bigger or stronger than females, a factor believed to influence their egalitarian tendencies in social relationships. This species is endemic to the Atlantic Forest region of Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Bahia. Their diets, travel patterns and reproductive cycles are seasonally determined. The size of each group can fluctuate as females move between groups of monkeys.