Taxa
Ateles
Genus
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Ateles is a genus of New World monkeys, subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae, known as spider monkeys, comprising seven species found in tropical forests from southern Mexico to Brazil, preferring undisturbed primary rainforest canopy at heights of 25 to 30 meters. Spider monkeys have arms substantially longer than their legs, lack thumbs, and rely on a prehensile tail that functions as a fifth limb, letting them suspend themselves from branches; among the largest New World monkeys, they are noted for exceptional agility rivaled among primates only by gibbons. All seven species are threatened, ranging from vulnerable to critically endangered, chiefly from hunting and habitat destruction.
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