Primate Observation

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The primates I chose to observe were siamangs and Diana monkeys. Siamangs are lesser apes (Tuttle, 2014). They are often confused with gibbons, which are a part of the same Hylobatidae family (Tuttle, 2014). However, siamangs have more chromosomes than gibbons, and are therefore categorized taxonomically as being of a separate genus: Symphalangus (Tuttle, 2014). Siamangs are found in the Indonesian island Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula (Gron, 2008). They are sexually dimorphic (Gron, 2008). In one study, wild adult male siamangs weighed an average of 11.9 kg, while adult female siamangs weighed 10.7 kg (Gron, 2008). Their coats, however, do not differ between the two sexes, and are all black (Tuttle, 2014). Some of their most recognizable features include their inflatable throat sacs, their lack of tails, and their long arms and fingers specialized for …show more content…
For this reason, sometimes Diana monkeys are called Diana guenons, as was the case at the Tulsa Zoo. Diana monkeys are natively found in coastal northwest Africa (Campbell et al., 2007). Fruit makes up the majority of the monkey’s diet, followed closely by insects and seeds (Campbell et al., 2007). Occasionally, flowers and leaves are eaten (Campbell et al., 2007). In the wild, they have a maximum lifespan of 20 years (Kennedy, 1999). Their mass ranges from 4 kg to 7 kg and their body length ranges from 40 to 55 cm, with a 50 to 75 cm long tail (Kennedy, 1999).
Diana monkeys live in the canopy of tropical forests in large social groups (Kennedy, 1999). These single-male, multi-female groups can range from 15 to 30 individuals (Kennedy, 1999). Within the groups, females often have close bonds and groom each other frequently (Campbell et al., 2007). Females raise the offspring (Kennedy, 1999). At adolescence, male offspring leave the natal group, while females stay (Kennedy,

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