There are more than 500 primate species on Earth which includes lemurs, monkeys, apes, lorisis, and humans. It is quite hard to believe that humans evolved from apes and that we share many similarities with them. Here I am presenting a list of the top 10amazing types of primates in the world found worldwide along with their interesting characteristics.
Types of Primates In The World
1. Chimpanzees
A chimpanzee can grow up to 95 cm and weigh up to 65 Kg with an average life expectancy of 33 years. It has a black face, hands, and feet with a white body covered with black or brown hair. It is found in the tropical forest of Central and West Africa.
Humans and chimpanzees are considered to have common ancestors due to alike facial expressions and they also share around 98% genetic blueprint. The chimpanzee is an omnivorous animal and noshes on a wide range of plants and meat like mangoes, bananas, apples, barks, flowers, figs, and nuts. Moreover, the chimpanzee is stated endangered by IUCN owing to continuous habitat loss, poaching, and deforestation.
2. Marmoset Primate
Marmoset can grow up to 20 cm and ponders 100-600g with a life expectancy of 20 years. It is black-brown and found in forests of Central and South America. It has a short body covered with silky hair, a long tail, and sharp claws. It is one of the most endearing forest animals and can fit effortlessly in palms and pockets. More than that, the marmoset is herbivorous and nourishes on leaves, fruits, plants, tree saps, and vegetation. Many people also keep marmosets as pets.
3. Emperor Tamarin Primate
Emperor Tamarin has a body length of 9 to 10 inches and a tail length of 13 to 16 inches. It weighs around 460 grams and has a life expectancy of 23 years. It is brown, grey, black, and white and found in the rainforests of northwest Brazil, Bolivia, and South East Peru. It is as small as a squirrel and is known for its mustache and its beard. It has sharp claws giving it a perfect grip to hop and jump. It is moderately aggressive and attacks when other animals try to snatch its food and shelter. Its diet includes fruits, nectar, flowers, insects, and eggs.
4. Japanese Macaque Primate
Japanese Macaque also known as Snow Monkey can grow 83 cm long and weighs 8 to 11 kg with a life expectancy of 28 to 30 years. It is found in the tropical forest of Honshu and Shikoku and the Japanese islands of Nagano. It has a red face like humans with a coat of grey or brown color which allows it to stay warm in winters. It is an omnivore animal feeding on leaves, insects, small animals, seeds, serials, flowers, tree bark, and roots. Its predators are humans, wolfs, eagles, and feral dogs.
5. Capuchin monkeys
Capuchin monkeys can grow about 14 to 18 inches tall weighing 6.6 to 8.8 lb with a life expectancy of 25 to 35 years. It is found in the lowland and tropical forests of Central and South America. It is a cute monkey that is black, brown, and whitish in color and has a long tail running at a speed of 35 miles per hour. It is a smart and socially intelligent animal. It generally moves in a group of 10 to 35 capuchins named as troops. It is an omnivore monkey feeding on nuts, leaves, fruits, insects, and other small animals.
6. Golden Lion Tamarin
Golden Lion Tamarin also known as King of the New World jungle has a body length of 8 to 13 inches and weighs around 550 g to 700 g. It has a life expectancy of about 20 years. It is found in tropical and sub-tropical forests of South Eastern Brazil and is reddish-hold, orange, and black in color. It has long fingers and claws to make an easy grip on branches running at a speed of 24 miles per hour. It is an omnivore animal nourishing on fruits and insects like spiders, beans, eggs, and bugs.
7. Gorilla Primate
Gorillas can grow up to 1.6 meters long weighing around 300 to 485 pounds with a life expectancy of 35 to 40 years. It is grey-black in color and found in rainforests and dense jungles. It is a herbivore animal feeding on shoots, roots, fruits, tree barks, and sometimes small animals and insects. It prefers to live in groups of as many as 50 members. Gorilla shares 95% of their DNA with human beings.
8. Baboons Primate
Baboons can grow 16 to 40 inches long weighing 22 to 66 lb with an average life expectancy of 20 to 30 years. It is found in tropical forests of Africa and the Middle East. Its tail is not as long as other primates. It can be easily identified with a hair lock on either side of the face. It moves at a speed of 30 miles per hour. Moreover, the baboon is an omnivore animal feeding on plants, nuts, seeds, sheep, and rodents. Predators like cheetahs, leopards, and humans also kill baboons for their needs.
9. Orangutan Primate
Orangutan is a large-bodied ape with brown hair and is 3.9 to 4 feet long. It weighs around 110 to 220 lb with an average life expectancy of 30 to 40 years. It is found in rainforests, freshwater, and swampy areas of the southeast Asian Islands of Borneo. It has long arms which enable it to hold on to branches and travel easily and run at a speed of 2.7 mph. it is an omnivore animal feeding on fruits, figs, leaves, lizards, eggs, and other small animals. It is an endangered animal because of continuous habitat loss. It is one of the amazing types of primates in the world.
10. Gibbon Primate
Gibbon can grow up to 24 to 36 inches long and weighs 13 to 19 lb with a life expectancy of 30 to 35 years. it is found in dense forests of South East Asia. Gibbon is a highly intelligent animal. It is one of the smallest ape species having small heads, long hands, and feet. It is brown, grey, black, white, and yellow in color moving at a speed of 35 miles per hour.
Gibbon is an omnivore animal feeding on fruits, nuts, plants, and small insects. Gibbon is considered critically endangered as only 30 gibbons are left worldwide. This huge decline is due to continuous habitat loss and illegal trading.
Also Read: Top 10 Calmest Animals In The World
Image Source: Wikimedia
These are the amazing types of primates in the world. Kindly share and do share your comments.
