Facts about Uakaris
- 08
Genetic analysis reveals uakaris diverged from other pitheciin monkeys approximately 6-8 million years ago during the Miocene epoch in South America.
- 07
Maternal uakaris nurse their infants for approximately 18 months, one of the longest nursing periods among small primates, ensuring offspring survival in their challenging flooded forest environment.
- 06
Uakaris possess a specialized digestive system that allows them to consume unripe seeds and fruit high in toxic compounds that other primates cannot tolerate.
- 05
Uakaris live in groups of 15 to 30 individuals that sometimes merge into aggregations exceeding 500 primates in the seasonally flooded várzea forests of Peru and Brazil.
- 04
Short arms and long tails measuring up to 24 inches make uakaris highly agile acrobats that leap between branches in their forest canopy habitat.
- 03
Uakaris inhabit flooded forests in the western Amazon basin where they spend up to 90 percent of their time in trees, rarely descending to the ground.
- 02
Bald uakaris possess a distinctive white facial patch around their eyes and muzzle that contrasts sharply with their crimson skin, serving as a visual signal within their social groups.
- 01
The bright red facial skin of uakaris intensifies in color when blood vessels dilate during social stress or excitement in their Amazon rainforest troops.