Scientific Classification

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Mammalia

ORDER: Primates

FAMILY: Atelidae

GENUS: Lagothrix

Conservation Status

A Woolly Monkey in the Peruvian Rain Forest eating a banana
common woolly monkey, Lagothrix lagotricha, sitting on branch
Woolly Monkey hangs on the tree
Baby Woolly Monkey

Silvery Woolly Monkey and Brown Woolly Monkey

Gray Woolly Monkey

Columbian Woolly Monkey
Depending on the species, woolly monkeys can reach 20-24 inches in length and weigh about 11-18 pounds, with the males being the larger of the sexes.

The woolly monkey species all look relatively similar with darker fur and pink palms. They also have long arms, a round head, large shoulders, and a prehensile tail that allows them to move easily through the trees. Woolly monkeys are labeled as arboreal as they spend almost their entire lives in the trees. If for some reason they come to the ground, they move using only their legs while their arms and tail help with balance.
The woolly monkey is a primate found in South America. There are four different species of woolly monkey that all prefer thick tropical rainforests with high altitudes.
Even though woolly monkeys live in large groups, they will often forage for food in smaller groups of two to six; scientists believe this is to reduce food competition. Woolly monkeys are omnivores usually eating fruits, seeds, insects, reptiles, and more. Since their tails are so strong, these monkeys are often seen eating upside down! The foraging parties will share food with the other members in the troop which encourages bonding.
Woolly monkeys will mate all year-long with both sexes having multiple partners. Males will stay with the troop they were born into while females will venture off to new groups to avoid inbreeding. The mothers will be pregnant for about seven months and give birth to a single baby. The woolly monkey baby will hang onto the mother’s stomach for about a week until it is strong enough to ride on her back. The babies become more independent after a year.

Woolly monkeys live in large groups of 10-45 individuals called a troop. Each troop is governed by an alpha male with the rest of the group organized by age, sex, and reproductive status. Play time is important to woolly monkeys. Even though it can get a little rough, it serves as a bonding process as well as establishing the hierarchy within the troop.