A typical spider monkey is described as a pot-bellied, spider limbed, worried faced creature with a mind of its own. They have very long legs and tails and are extremely agile. Spider Monkeys are very good climbers and are usually found in groups of around 30, often broken up into smaller sub-groups of around 3 or 4. They have hook-like fingers, but no thumb, and the tip of their tail can support the weight of their entire body. They will use all five appendages; arms, legs and tail, to scramble through trees.

Spider monkeys like wet forests rather than dry forests. They like the upper level of the forest. This upper level is called the canopy. They live in a group of about 18 to 30 members. These groups are known as "communities." All spider monkeys can be found in the Western hemisphere. They like this area because it is wet and full of lush fruit trees.

Spider monkeys mainly eat fruits and leaves. They also eat nuts, eggs, seeds, and insects. The spider monkey is a very strange eater. They eat about 125 different plant species every year. It is very hard to find ripe fruit on trees. Because of this, spider monkeys travel in small groups or alone. When a monkey traveling alone finds a tree with a lot of fruit, it sends out a loud call. When other monkeys hear the call they follow the sound to the fruit.

Poachers are the biggest enemies of spider monkeys. Poachers have killed more spider monkeys than any other living thing. Another enemy is the jaguar. A jaguar's favorite meal is a spider monkey, that is if they can catch one! Humans are cutting down trees in the rain forest which is killing the monkeys. Humans are cutting down about 35,000 acres of their habitat a day. We have hunted the spider monkey to extinction in the Amazon Basin. They are the most threatened "New World" monkeys because of hunters.

Spider monkeys come in many different sizes and colors. Females range from 15.5 to 21.2 inches in height. Male spider monkeys average about two feet tall. Their tail lengths range from 28 to 33.7 inches. Male and female monkeys weigh about 19 pounds. They come in the colors of red, brown, black, and white. Most spider monkeys have more than one color in their fur. When babies are born they have pink faces and ears. Then, as they get older, the pink changes to a light brown or black. Spider monkeys are very tall, skinny animals. They have long arms and legs. These characteristics make them look like spiders. That is how they got their name. Their shoulders are very flexible which allows them to swing from tree to tree. Their tails are used like a fifth arm and can support their whole weight. Their tail has an area of ridged skin at the end which also allows them to pick up objects firmly. They have human like fingers but they have no thumbs.