Goeldi's Monkey

Callimico goeldii

A small, shaggy black Amazon monkey that leaps between trees and eats mushrooms in the dry season.

Checking teacher reviews…

Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Goeldi's Monkey

Goeldi's monkeys are 8 to 9 inches tall, with 10- to 13-inch tails, and are covered in shaggy black hair. They have claw-like nails on all digits except the big toes. They live in the Amazon rainforest of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia, usually staying less than 16 feet above the ground. They eat fruit, insects and small animals.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Callimico goeldii^[1]
Size: 8 to 9 inches tall, plus a 10- to 13-inch tail.^[1]
Lifespan: Up to 21 years in human care.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Fruit, insects, small animals and, in the dry season, mushrooms.^[1]
Habitat: Amazon rainforest with patchy canopy and thick undergrowth, including bamboo forest.^[1]
Where it lives: Southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador and Peru, western Brazil and northern Bolivia.^[1]
Group life: Social groups that sleep and rest together.^[1]
Babies: One baby after about a 155-day pregnancy.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

Goeldi's monkeys can leap about 13 feet between trees without dropping.^[1]
They are the only New World monkeys known to rely heavily on mushrooms.^[1]
Their long calls can be heard more than 300 feet away.^[1]

Vocabulary

genus: A group of closely related species.
New World monkey: A monkey from Central or South America.
undergrowth: Small plants and bushes growing under trees.
omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and other animals.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Small Mammal HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Goeldi's monkey.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/goeldis-monkey (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Callimico goeldii (Goeldi's Monkey).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3564/191700340 (accessed 2026-10-08)