Meet Our Animals
The Brandywine Zoo proves that great things do come in small packages. The Zoo features animals from the tropical and temperate areas of North and South America, Asia and Africa. Our animals range from more common species to the highly endangered. All enjoy natural settings and welcome your visit to the zoo. Some animals may be off exhibit during cold weather.
Saimiri sciureus
Guianan Squirrel Monkey
Habitat
Geographic Region & Range
Diet
Physical Description
Small monkeys with compact bodies and long tails. Fur is short and thick, primarily gray in color. Face, throat, and ears have white fur; dark hair on crown, around mouth and nostrils. White to yellowish underparts with orange lower limbs and rump.
Lifespan
Natural Habitat: 15-20 years
Under Human Care: 20-25 years
Threats
Status
What are AZA Zoos doing for
Guianan Squirrel Monkey
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has a Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the Common Squirrel Monkey. SSP programs manage animal populations within institutions, ensuring a genetically diverse, geographically varied, and biologically sound population.
Fun Facts
Squirrel monkey infants make friends in play groups that they sometimes maintain well into adulthood.
All male squirrel monkeys have red-green color blindness. This is especially unusual for frugivores, because they rely on color vision to find food.
Squirrel monkeys named Able and Baker were the first primates to survive a flight into space! Able is now preserved at the National Museum of Natural History.
Squirrel monkeys can only sweat through the palms of their hands and their feet!