Just Look At That Face!

Just look at that face!

He seems to enjoy having his portrait taken.

He is a Saki Monkey and he lives in the Natural Encounters building 

at the Houston Zoo.

My BGD (beautiful god-daughter) and I were quite taken with him.

Look at his hands and his long fingers.

A New World Monkey, Sakis are small sized monkeys with long, bushy tails. They live in the trees of the rain forests and only occasionally go onto the land. They are generally very shy and cautious. Their range includes northern and central South America, extending from the south of Columbia, over Peru, in northern Bolivia and into the central part of Brazil.

While not endangered, they are vulnerable due to the destruction of their habitat by humans. They are also hunted for food and for the pet trade.

A big thank you to Misty for being the hostess each week for Camera Critters.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled week.

Camera Critters

Camera Critters is hosted each Saturday by the lovely Misty.

I'd like you to meet a Patas monkey from the Houston Zoo.

The Patas monkey is probably the fastest primate on earth, its long legs giving it a tremendous loping stride. Speeds reach up to 35 mph. They are highly terrestrial spending most of their time on the ground. The species has a wide distribution in the savanna and woodlands areas across sub-Saharan Africa from the western tip of Senegal to East Africa.

The conservation of patas monkeys is critical because of their already small population size, limited geographic range and the current destruction of their habitats. Hunting by humans has increased progressively, especially in West Africa. Hunters kill patas monkeys for meat in the Ivory Coast. The mountain Nuba people and tribal groups also hunt patas monkeys. Many farmers and plantation owners shoot these monkeys when they raid their crops. Patas monkeys are collected and sold as pets or they are sold to medical research institutions. Over 1000 patas monkeys are collected per year.

I think I'm in love!

Happy Critter Day!