Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Scientific Name: Callimico goeldii

Range: Upper Amazon region of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador

Habitat: Scrubby undergrowth of tropical rain forest and forest patches in savannas

Diet: Wild: Fruit, insects, spiders, occasionally lizards and frogs. Zoo: Oranges, apples, bananas, carrots, yams, Monkey Chow

Gestation: 150-160 days

Litter: 1

Description: Squirrel-like and marmoset-sized, the rare Goeldis monkey seems to occupy an anatomically intermediate place between the Callitrichidae and the Cebidae. The Goeldis monkey is about 10-13 inches and weighs about 1 lb. Their long silky coat is black or blackish-brown with a bobbed mane around the head. Goeldis monkeys spend most of their active time close to the ground, but climb to heights of 30-40 feet for shelter and safety at night. Their main predators are raptors, ocelots and other small cats. The social structure is that of a family with 6-7 members present most of the time. In face of danger, Goeldis monkeys will hide their young in low vegetation before running from danger themselves. The father generally takes quite an interest in raising and feeding the young and carries the baby on its back.