White-Faced Saki Monkey

Scientific Name: Pithecia pithecia

Order: Primates

Family: Pitheciidae

Conservation Status

About

White-faced saki monkeys are diurnal, meaning they are active during daylight and rest in the evening. They spend most of their time in the middle to lower canopy level of the forest, rarely walking along the ground. Their ability to jump 32 feet in the air and quickly leap from branch to branch earned them the nickname “flying monkeys.”

White-faced saki monkeys are hunted for food, captured for the pet trade and suffer from habitat destruction. Elmwood Park Zoo participates in the white-faced saki monkey Species Survival Plan, a shared conservation effort by zoos throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Find me at EPZ

Location: Habitat HQ

Arrived at EPZ: Opus - 03/13/2009; Alexandria - 11/6/2017; Bungee 2/12/2020

Habitat & Range
The white-faced saki is a species of saki monkey found in Brazil, French Guinea, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. They typically inhabit the understory and lower canopy of tropical rainforests.
Identification
All white-faced saki monkeys are born with brown fur. At two months old the hair begins to change color based on gender. Males have black fur with a white face and throat, while females have shorter hair that is brown-gray with a white stripe. An adult male weighs an average of 3.5 pounds, about a half-pound heavier than a female.
Diet
White-faced sakis are omnivores that feed primarily on berries, leaves, seeds, nuts and insects
Reproduction & Lifespan
After a gestation period of 20 to 21 weeks, 1 infant is born. The infant clings to the mother for the following 2 weeks, after which the male or siblings may carry it. By 6 months, they become independent, but remain with their family to care for the next infant born. The average lifespan of a white-faced saki is 14 years and 35 years in captivity.
Fantastic Fact
Saki monkeys do not grasp tree branches between their index finger and thumb, as humans would, but between the index finger and middle finger, so they have three fingers on one side and a finger and thumb on the other.

White-Faced Saki Monkey

Conservation Status

About

Find me at EPZ

Habitat & Range

Identification

Diet

Reproduction & Lifespan

Fantastic Fact