Interesting fun facts about Monkeys

They can be cheeky and scary, goofy and daring but there is more to the monkey world. Here are some fun, interesting and fascinating facts about monkeys that you probably had no clue about! Scroll down quickly and add to your knowledge.

Monkeys use grooming to strengthen their bonds. It could be picking bugs, cleaning off the dirt etc. It is how they express their affection. This is good for social bonding when it comes to monkey business.

Yes you read that right! For male capuchin species, to attract a female partner, these monkeys urinate in their hands and rub it well on their fur.

The smallest monkey in the world is the pygmy marmoset which can be as small as 5 inches with a 7 inch tail. They can fit in human palms and weigh as much as a pack of cards does.

The monkey tail tips java bare skin which act as human fingertips. They are sensitive and also have tiny ridges that help with the grip.

Did you know that the monkeys that live in Central and South America are known as New World monkeys and the ones in Asia and Africa are called Old World monkeys.

The popular opinion says that we came from monkeys but the truth is that humans and monkeys have a common ancestor that existed 25-30 million years ago and then from there we evolved in various different ways, with us becoming humans.

The Mandrill monkey species has fangs longer than a lion’s and have muti-coloured bottoms.

The fastest primate on our planet till now is patas monkey which can run at 34 miles per hour.

This species is the rarest of all New World monkeys. They look like orangutans, have a pink face that turns red when they are angry or excited like us humans and they laugh like humans. It is uncanny.

The only nocturnal New World monkey in the world is the owl monkey. They have also been affected by malaria and have been used in non-human primate malaria experiments.

The first primate that went to space was a rhesus macaque named Albert, in 1949 on June 14. He survived the flight but died when the parachute failed.

The largest monkey in the world is 3.3 feet long weighing 35kgs, known as the male mandrill. Remember Rafiki in Lion King?

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