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White-faced Saki Monkey

Pithecia pithecia

Quick Facts

Scientific name: Pithecia pithecia
Class: Mammal
Weight: 4 to 5 pounds
Life span: Up to 15 years
Conservation status: Least concern
Number of offspring: 1 young at a time

About

I LIVE IN SOUTH AMERICA

Saki monkeys live in tropical rain forests of southern and eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northeastern Brazil.


I AM AN OMNIVORE

This species’ diet primarily includes fruit, seeds, leaves, and flowers. They will occasionally eat small mammals and birds.


WHITE-FACED SAKI MONKEYS ARE SOLITARY

Saki monkeys are usually seen alone or in pairs. However, they sometimes will live in groups of up to twelve. They are arboreal, meaning they spend their lives in the trees and rarely come to the ground.


AWESOME ADAPTATIONS

Only male saki monkeys have white faces, while females have dark faces. Their fur is thick, coarse, shaggy, and long which protects them from the weather in the rain forest. Their lower front teeth are specialized for opening nuts and tough fruits in order to obtain the large nutritious seeds hidden within. This allows them to eat unripe fruit not palatable to most primates.


HELPING THE WHITE-FACED SAKI MONKEY IN THE WILD

The white-faced saki monkeys at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo are enrolled in the Species Survival Plan (SSP). SSP is a program implemented by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to help ensure a genetically viable population exists.


I AM IMPORTANT TO MY ECOSYSTEM

Much of the diet of the white-faced saki includes seeds. They are critical to the environment for the purpose of seed dispersion.


Conservation

Learn more about our efforts, our conservation partners around the world, and the simple steps you can take to contribute.

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