Facts about Monkeys
Today there are 264 known extanct species of monkeys. The first monkey in space was Albert II who flew in the US-launched V2 rocket in June 14, 1949. Monkey brains are eaten as a delicacy in South Asia, China and Africa. Monkeys vary alot in sizes; The smallest are '5-6 in' long, while the largest are almost '3.3 ft' long. The Mizaru or three wise monkeys are revered in Japanese folklore. In Buddhism, the monkey is an early incarnation of Buddha but may also represent trickery and ugliness. The smallest monkey breed or species is 'Pygmy Marmoset' which is 140 to 160 millimetres (5-6 in) long (plus tail) in length and 120 to 140 grams (4-5 oz) in weight. The largest monkey breed or species is 'Mandrill' whose male are almost 1 metre (3.3 ft) long and weighing 35 kilograms (77 lb). A number of countries have used monkeys as part of their space exploration programmes, including the United States and France. Some organizations train capuchin monkeys as monkey helpers to assist quadriplegics and other people with severe spinal cord injuries or mobility impairments. After being socialized in a human home as infants, the monkeys undergo extensive training before being placed with a quadriplegic. Around the house, the monkeys help out by doing tasks including microwaving food, washing the quadriplegic's face, and opening drink bottles. The loudest monkey of all is the howler monkey. Its cries can be heard up to three miles away. Sun Wukong (the "Monkey King"), a character who figures prominently in Chinese mythology, is the main protagonist in the classic comic Chinese novel Journey to the West. Most New World monkeys have prehensile tails while Old World monkeys have non-prehensile tails or no visible tail at all. Hanuman, a prominent divine entity in Hinduism, is a monkey-like humanoid. He may bestow longevity. There are 264 species of monkey. Old World monkeys (135 species) are more closely related to apes than they are to New World monkeys (129 species). The Monkey is the ninth in the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The quickest way to distinguish between a New World and Old World monkey is the nose. New World monkeys have a flat nose with side-facing nostrils; Old World monkeys have a narrow nose with downard-facing nostrils. Some monkey species like African green monkeys are widely used in animal testing facilities. They are used primarily because of their relative ease of handling, their fast reproductive cycle (compared to apes), and their psychological and physical similarity to humans. In the United States, around 50,000 non-human primates, most of them monkeys, have been used in experiments every year since 1973; 10,000 monkeys were used in the European Union in 2004. In traditional Islamic dietary laws, monkeys are forbidden to be eaten. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped nature. They placed emphasis on animals and often depicted monkeys in their art. |
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