Fast Facts for Kids
Monkey Facts for Kids

Monkey Facts for Kids

  • Common Name: Monkey
  • Order: Primates
  • Suborder: Haplorhini
  • Infraorder: Simiiformes
  • Diet: Mostly Herbivorous (Plants)
  • Total Species: 260+
  • First Appeared: 57 to 90 million years ago

19 Monkey Facts For Kids

  1. Monkey is the common name for a large group of higher primates in the Simiiformes infraorder.
  2. There are 270 monkey species that have officially been described by scientists.
  3. Monkey species are divided into two different monophyletic groups, Old World Monkeys and New World Monkeys.
  4. Old World Monkeys includes 138 species of monkeys.
  5. An example of an Old World Monkey is the bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata).
  6. Old World Monkeys are found in Africa, Asia, and small regions of Europe.
  7. Old World Monkeys inhabit mountainous regions, shrublands, savannas, and tropical rainforests.
  8. New World Monkeys includes 132 species of monkeys.
  9. An example of a New World Monkey the Panamanian night monkey (Aotus zonalis).
  10. New World Monkey are found in South America and some regions of North America.
  11. New World Monkeys inhabit mostly tropical rainforests in North and South America.
  12. Almost all monkeys are omnivores and eat a combination of plant and meat material.
  13. The diet of a monkey includes leaves, stems, fruits, nuts, insects, bird eggs, small mammals, and small reptiles.
  14. The largest monkey species is the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) with an adult male weighing up to 66 pounds.
  15. The smallest monkey species is the western pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) with a weight of only 5 ounces.
  16. Monkey species can either be tree-dwelling or land-dwelling, which is usually based on species size and diet.
  17. An example of a tree-dwelling monkey is the black-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps).
  18. An example of a ground-dwelling monkey is the olive baboon (Papio anubis),
  19. Monkeys are social and live in groups called troops.

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Monkey Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on monkeys. Below are six pictures of various monkey species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of monkeys found around the world.

The Chimpanzee Pan Troglodytes

A picture of the chimpanzee pan troglodytes.

The Japanese Macaque Macaca Fuscata

A picture of the Japanese macaque macaca fuscata.

The Mandrill Mandrillus Sphinx

A picture of the mandrill mandrillus sphinx.


The Proboscis Monkey Nasalis Larvatus

A picture of the proboscis monkey nasalis larvatus.

The Emperor Tamarin Saguinus Imperator

A picture of the emperor tamarin saguinus imperator.

The Common Marmoset Callithrix Jacchus

A picture of the common marmoset callithrix jacchus.

Monkey Resources

We hope you found the above monkey facts, information, data, and pictures both fun and educational. You can continue to research monkeys using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to monkeys. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.