A squirrel monkey with a white face walking along a branch. — Photo: Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Squirrel Monkey

Saimiri species

A small, noisy South and Central American monkey that lives in big troops and leaps through the trees using its long tail for balance.

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About the Squirrel Monkey

Squirrel monkeys have bodies 9 to 14 inches long, tails 14 to 17 inches long, and weigh only 1.3 to 2.5 pounds. Most have white fur around the eyes and ears, a dark cap, and reddish or yellow fur on the back, arms and legs. They live in forests along rivers in Central and South America, especially the Amazon basin. They eat fruit in the morning and hunt spiders and insects the rest of the day.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Saimiri species^[1]
Size: Body 9 to 14 inches; tail 14 to 17 inches.^[1]
Weight: 1.3 to 2.5 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: About 15 years in the wild; 20 in human care.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Fruit, spiders, insects and sometimes eggs or young birds.^[1]
Habitat: Forests, usually along rivers and streams.^[1]
Where it lives: Central and South America, especially the Amazon basin.^[1]
Group life: Groups of 12 to 300. Active during the day.^[1]
Babies: One baby, about every other year.^[1]
Conservation status: Varies by species: most are Least Concern, but some are Near Threatened or Endangered.^[1]

Fun facts

Squirrel monkeys use at least 26 different calls.^[1]
Groups can have up to 300 monkeys.^[1]
Squirrel monkeys often hang out with capuchin monkeys.^[1]

Vocabulary

troop: A group of monkeys that live together.
musk: A strong-smelling substance animals use to mark territory.
New World monkey: A monkey from Central or South America.
understory: The layer of a forest below the treetops.
omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and other animals.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Tropical RainforestSee 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] Oakland Zoo. “Squirrel Monkey.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/squirrel-monkey/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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