By Ivan Crab. Acorns are extremely popular if there are oak trees nearby that allow them to consume them. They will eat what they can find in various locations without hesitation. The most abundant monkey species is the mandrill, which can grow to about 3 feet tall and weigh about 35 kgs. They also consume insects, bugs, fruits, leaves, and twigs. Monkey Squirrels live in groups that can be as many as 300-400 usually. Ecological Web. Diet of the Squirrel Monkey. The Monkey Squirrel lives in South and Central America. The feeding of Primates. Squirrels are known for eating nuts, but their diets consist of fungi, fruits, nuts, and seeds. What Do Monkeys Eat? The squirrel monkey lives in tropical forests of Central and South America. The wild squirrel monkeys feed on fruit, insects, leaves and seeds. The type of nuts they eat will depend on what they can get a hold of. The best defense for squirrel monkeys is to stick together. Squirrels do not tend to overeat when presented with a wild diet or when the bulk of their diet is composed of rodent block. The baby rides the mother’s back jockey-style for the first few weeks of life and remains dependent on the mother for a year. Most Monkey species though wait until the dry season when their other sources of food have disappeared. Squirrel Monkeys primarily eat fruit, nuts, insects, spiders, bird eggs, or young birds. In a large troop, they can have eyes and ears everywhere, and they can warn each other with high-pitched sounds when a predator enters their midst. A few, mainly snakes, birds of prey and wildcats. Twigs and dry bark may be part of the diet as well. These monkeys belong to the genus Saimiri and subfamily Saimirinae. What do squirrel monkeys eat? 28. This monkey prefers to live in the primary or secondary forests. These range from flowers, leaves and nuts to insects, lizards and even eggs. The smallest monkey species is the pygmy marmoset, which grows to a length of about 5 inches. Tree Frogs are part of the diet for the Common Squirrel Monkey. The feeding of Primates. They are very adaptable, and can live in various areas of the forest such as the edges, but they avoid clearings. The groups found together to search for food only. Squirrel monkeys are omnivores. Then they will eat what they have to in order to survive. Many trees … What may look chaotic to us though does work very well for this particular species of Monkey. They also serve as a good source of food for many other animals in their ecosystem, such as raptors, snakes, and large cats. Do they have many predators? Squirrel monkeys play an important role in controlling insect populations. There have even been cases of spider monkeys eating newborn squirrel monkeys. Posted in baboon, bush baby, capuchin, chimpanzee, gibbon, macaque, marmoset, owl monkeys, primate care, savanna monkey, squirrel monkeys, tamarin. Squirrel monkeys and capuchin monkeys sometimes forage together, eating fruit, leaves, buds, tree gum, insects, spiders, and small vertebrates. Females give birth to a single baby after a gestation of about six months. It’s the first time squirrel monkeys have been observed carrying food and water around in containers, and a large number of the animals learned how to do it – 39 out of 57. In captivity, they’ll munch on treats such as eggs and yogurts. How does a squirrel monkey protect itself? During recent years, the feeding of PRIMATES has undergone significant changes, as more has been discovered about their nutritional needs. Young monkey squirrel eating stems. Well, they are omnivorous so that means they eat food items that are both plant and animal based. They are omnivorous, and the Squirrel Monkey Diet includes fruits and insects. Squirrel monkeys are omnivorous and mainly eat fruits and insects. December 29, 2011 8:34 pm. 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