An independent field reference on the biology, range, and behavior of the world's primates
Primates are an order of mammals — Primates — that today number roughly 500 living species spread across the tropics of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. They are defined by a suite of shared adaptations: forward-facing eyes with depth perception, grasping hands and feet, large brains relative to body size, and, in most species, a strong dependence on vision and touch over scent.
The order splits into two suborders. The strepsirrhines ("wet-nosed" primates) are the more ancient lineage — lemurs, lorises, and galagos — and retain a strong sense of smell and, in many cases, a moist rhinarium. The haplorhines ("dry-nosed" primates) include the tarsiers and, closer to us, the anthropoids: the monkeys, apes, and humans.
living species across three continents
suborders — strepsirrhines and haplorhines
great-ape and hominin lineages incl. humans
of all primate species are monkeys
The apes (Hominoidea) are the tailless anthropoids. The "great apes" — the hominoids — include the orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans. They are the largest primates and the most socially complex, and all are now threatened by habitat loss.
The closest living relatives of humans, sharing roughly 98.7% of our DNA. Chimpanzees live in fission–fusion groups across the forests of central and west Africa. They are tool users — stripping leaves for sponges, hammering open nuts — and show a range of cooperative and cultural behaviors that differ from community to community.
The largest living primate. Silverback-led groups forage in the montane forests and grasslands of central Africa. Gorillas are predominantly vegetarian, and males are famous for the broad silver saddle that develops with age. The mountain subspecies is critically endangered.
The great apes of Southeast Asia, living in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are among the most intelligent non-human primates, building elaborate sleeping nests each night and using tools to access food. Females are the dominant sex in the social structure.
The Old World monkeys (Cercopithecoidea) are found across Africa and Asia. They are generally terrestrial and social, with a dentition of 32 teeth and, in many species, a non-prehensile tail used for balance rather than grasping.
A highly social savanna species of sub-Saharan Africa, famous for its sophisticated alarm-call system — distinct vocalizations for different predators, including calls that appear to convey the type and direction of a threat.
The northernmost-dwelling monkey, found on the Japanese islands. It is the only primate that regularly forages in snow and is well known for bathing in natural hot springs on the island of Kōchi.
A striking high-altitude species of China's mountain forests, with a distinctive upturned blue nose and golden fur. It lives in large multi-male groups and is a flagship species for conservation in the Qinling region.
The New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) are native to Central and South America. They have flat, broad noses, and many species possess a fully prehensile tail that functions as a fifth limb in the canopy.
Among the most intelligent monkeys, capuchins are renowned tool users — cracking nuts with stones, using sticks to extract food. Their social groups are fluid, and they show clear cultural traditions.
Long-limbed canopy dwellers of the Neotropics with a fully prehensile tail. Their slender build and powerful limbs are built for brachiation — swinging from limb to limb through the forest canopy.
Named for the male's extraordinarily loud vocalization — among the loudest of any land animal — used to advertise territory over long distances. They are the heaviest of the New World monkeys and are largely folivorous.
The strepsirrhines are the more primitive-looking primates, retaining a moist nose and a strong sense of smell. They are dominated by the lemurs of Madagascar, a species-rich island that is home to no other wild primates.
Madagascar's most recognizable primate, with a long black-and-white banded tail. It is diurnal and highly social, moving in groups through the island's dry forests.
A small, nocturnal, slow-moving primate of South and Southeast Asia. Lorises are arboreal and solitary, and like the slow lorises they possess a mild venom delivered via a groove in the arm for defense.
Primates are among the most threatened of all mammals. More than half of all primate species are considered threatened with extinction, driven primarily by deforestation, hunting, and the pet and bushmeat trades. Because many primates are long-lived, slow to reproduce, and require large territories, they recover slowly from population declines.
Conservation efforts focus on protecting contiguous forest habitat, establishing protected areas and corridors, and combating illegal wildlife trade. Island endemics — the lemurs of Madagascar and the tarsiers of the Philippines — are especially vulnerable because their entire range is confined to a small area.