Animal Facts
Monkey Facts & Trivia: Fascinating Things to Know
Monkeys are social, chatty primates, with 264 known species spread across forests, mountains, and grasslands worldwide. Each monkey has its own fingerprints, Howler Monkeys can be heard up to three miles away, and a widely repeated but unverified online claim puts monkey IQ around 174.
Monkeys are social, vocal, and quick-witted, with hundreds of species living in jungles, mountains, and grasslands worldwide. Their fingerprints are as individual as ours, and some species have calls loud enough to carry for miles. What follows are real monkey facts, plus a look at how monkeys have turned up in our movies, music, and pop culture.
Fascinating Monkey Facts
Monkeys belong to the order Primates (kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia), and scientists currently recognize 264 distinct monkey species. One of the easiest ways to tell a monkey from an ape is the tail — nearly all monkeys have one, while apes go without.
Monkeys get around in different ways depending on the species: spider monkeys and their ape cousins swing hand over hand between branches, while most other monkeys prefer to scamper along limbs instead, gripping with both their fingers and toes.
These animals are deeply social. They bond and smooth over squabbles by grooming one another, and they travel together in groups known as a troop, tribe, or mission. To stay in touch, they rely on a mix of calls, facial expressions, and body language.
Their diets are as varied as their habitats, which range from dense forest canopies to open grasslands and high mountain plains.
- Depending on the species, monkeys snack on fruit, grass, leaves, eggs, insects, spiders, flowers, and even reptiles.
- The tiny Pygmy Marmoset holds the title of smallest monkey, while the Mandrill is the largest.
- Spider monkeys earned their name from their notably long arms, legs, and tail.
- Like people, monkeys each have their own one-of-a-kind fingerprints.
- Swinging through the trees helps monkeys escape predators as well as get from place to place.
- Tooth count differs by group — Old World species carry 32, while New World monkeys have 36.
- Howler Monkeys are famously loud; when a troop cries out together, the sound can travel up to three miles.
- A widely repeated but unverified online claim assigns monkeys an IQ around 174.
- The monkey ranks 9th in the Chinese zodiac and most recently took the spotlight as the zodiac's featured sign in 2016.
- Some species can carry diseases like hepatitis, simian herpes B, and tuberculosis.
- While many monkey populations are stable, some species are close to disappearing altogether.
Monkeys in Movies & Music
Monkeys have shown up in leading roles across Hollywood films for decades. Animated and live-action titles like Curious George, Space Chimps, Monkey Bone, Dr. Dolittle, Hanuman, Monkey Trouble, Dunston Checks In, and Project X have all put a primate front and center.
Musicians have had just as much fun with the theme — the Beastie Boys sang about a "Brass Monkey," the Beatles referenced one in "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey," and the word pops up again in tracks by Counting Crows, The Pixies ("Monkey Gone To Heaven"), The Rolling Stones ("Monkey Man"), Foo Fighters ("Monkey Wrench"), Peter Gabriel ("Shock Monkey"), Widespread Panic ("Sleepy Monkey"), the Traveling Wilburys ("Tweeter and the Monkey Man"), and Dave Matthews Band, who used the word twice, in "Proudest Monkey" and "Shake Me Like a Monkey."
Famous Monkeys
Several monkey characters have stuck in pop culture. Abu swung his way through Aladdin, while Rafiki appeared in The Lion King. Curious George headlines his own movie, Dunston stars in Dunston Checks In, and Mason appears in Madagascar.
On television, Boots keeps Dora company in Dora the Explorer, and Binks made appearances in both the film Outbreak and George of the Jungle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the easiest way to tell a monkey apart from an ape?
Look at the tail: most monkeys have one, while apes do not. It's one of the simplest ways to tell the two groups apart.
How many monkey species exist?
Researchers currently recognize 264 known monkey species. They live in habitats as varied as forests, grasslands, mountains, and high plains.
Which monkey is considered the loudest?
The Howler Monkey takes the title. When a whole troop calls out together, their howls can be heard from as far as three miles away.