Spider monkeys are polygynous, one male mating with multiple females. They mainly eat ripe fruit, but will also occasionally consume leaves, flowers, nuts, seeds, eggs, insects, and arachnids.

Spider monkeys are herbivores (frugivores). These monkeys 'bark' when they are threatened, and when they are approached by humans will throw branches, shake tree limbs and jump up and down. They make their way nimbly along the branches, walking on the upper surfaces, and can use their tails to pick things up. They live mainly up in the tree canopy, foraging there during the day, tending to eat a lot in the early morning, resting for the rest of the day. Males may forage together in small groups, while females and offspring will often forage alone. Usually, large groups divide into smaller subgroups for foraging and the whole group is together for only a few weeks of the year. Spider monkeys are social animals and form groups of about thirty individuals, with groups of as many as 100 having been reported. They also seek areas with a canopy, and prefer wet areas but will settle for drier locations. They inhabit huge rainforest areas, as they need a large home range. The natural environment of this monkey includes Mexico’s southern tip and scattered areas of Brazil. Their head is small, with a prominent muzzle.

Their hands are like hooks, and their palms are long and narrow, with long curved fingers but no thumb. Their muscular, tactile prehensile tail is used as an extra hand. Their bodies and limbs are slender and they have long narrow hands. They depend very much on their good binocular vision. Their color can be golden, buff, red, brown, or black, while their hands and feet are usually black. Their hair is generally stringy and coarse and they don’t have any underfur. They are usually all black, though some have rings around their eyes of a flesh color, and white whiskers on their chin. The males and females look like each other. Spider monkeys are primitive monkeys of the New World.

Spider mokey