U.A.P.P.E.A.L Non Human Primate Facts

Non Human Primates come in many shapes and sizes from the Pygmy Marmoset to the Chimpanzee. Just as different as the monkeys themselves, there are different ways of “keeping” monkeys as pets. Some people group house their monkeys in outside or inside enclosures. Others have indoor/outdoor enclosures that allow the monkey to come and go from the inside of the house to the outside at will. Still others have their monkeys living, eating and sleeping right next to them on a daily basis.

Even though there are differences in the way people choose to live with their monkeys, there are also many things that are the same no matter what kind of monkey you choose to share your life with or how you choose to live with them.

Non Human Primates kept as pets require a considerable amount of time, patience and money to maintain them. They have a very complicated social structure. Because of their high intelligence, they require a lot of enrichment for their mental health. NHP’s are not for everyone and you need to really do your homework and understand their needs before taking the plunge into monkey parenthood. Having an NHP as a pet will change your life dramatically and if you do it right it is like nothing you have ever experienced before. It can be wonderful, or, it can be your worst nightmare. It all depends on how you educate yourself, what kind of outreach you have available to you, and how committed you are to your NHP and making sure he is mentally and physically healthy. UAPPEAL is dedicated to helping you become a responsible, educated and committed NHP owner.

NEW WORLD PRIMATES

Black Cap Capuchin Baby

Cinnamon Capuchin

Life span: 35 to 45 years
Weight: 4 to 15 lbs
Body length: 12 to 22 “
Tail: 12 to 22 semi-prehensile and used for support, balance and reaching and carried with the tip circling down into a semi-circle or ring, hence the nickname “ring tail monkey”.

Species:

• White-faced, White-throated or Black and White Capuchin (Cebus capuchinus)
• Cinnamon or White-fronted (C. albifrons)
• Olive, Weeper or Wedge-capped (C. olivaceus)
• Tufted, Brown, Black-capped or Hooded (C. Apella)

Capuchins have an intelligence comparable to that of a chimpanzee. Each species seems to have a reputation for certain characteristics. They are very good with their hands and are able to figure out how to manipulate objects by using sticks, rocks, or hitting an object on a hard surface to open it. In other words, they are tool users. They have a zest for life and personality galore. They love to put objects in your mouth or wash their walls with a rag. They can be taught to turn on a radio or put a tape in a tape player. For these reasons, capuchins are used as helpers for qaudraplegics through the Helping Hands Program.

Diet: The main diet should be New World Primate Chow (75 to 80%). You can supplement the diet with fruits, vegetable (15 to 20%) nuts, seeds, whole grains (5 to 10%) eggs, chicken, fish, meal worms, and insects (2 to 5%). Living outdoors, they will supplement their own diet with live insects and plant growth from around the cage. Fresh water should be available at all times. Capuchins have a very fast metabolism so therefore they have a bowel movement several times a day.

Caging:
Some people prefer to keep their capuchins living, sleeping and eating with them in the house. They provide a smaller indoor cage for rest periods or sleeping or safety during the owners absense. Other people keep their capuchins in an indoor/outdoor set up where they can come and go at will from the inside cage to an outside enclosure. All cages should have ample space for jumping and climbing and all outdoor cages should have a double door entry with padlocks. Capuchins can use a key to open a lock so the key should always be kept out of their reach. If your capuchin does not wear a diaper, you can elevate their indoor cage about two feet from the floor and put a catch pan or newspaper under the cage to catch the droppings. To do this the floor of the indoor cage would have to be made of vinyl coated wire with a 1x1 square mesh. Outdoor enclosures can be made from chain link on metal poles or some people prefer to use a chain link commercial dog kennel with a chain link top. A tarp should cover part of the outdoor cage for shade. Multiple shelves at different heights, hammocks, nesting boxes, swings, and large ropes will help to keep your capuchin happy and healthy.

Enrichment:
Capuchins love to play with toys that have lights and sounds. The more puzzling a toy is the more interesting it is to them. They enjoy foraging for meal worms or browse from a foraging board or a container filled with shavings or shredded paper. Some capuchins love to look through books or write with a pencil on paper. They love to climb and swing and wrestle with each other or their owners. Capuchins are usually very bonded with their human caretakers, but like all NHP’s that reach maturity, that relationship can change as they get older. Those that are bonded love to just “hangout” with their owners and are happy to just be made a part of the family.

From owner and entertainer Pam Cox....

I own three male black/white capuchins. Two of them perform with me in the public, and I am USDA licensed, and insured.

Indoor Caging:
Each monkey has an indoor cage, that ONCE USED to be my dining room. I had it paneled with FRP board (that stuff you put in your shower) so that it can be easily cleaned. Each monkey has their own separate cage, but they have access to each other through the cages. 2 of my monks wear diapers and clothes, but for the one that does not, I keep a pan under his cage and sparingly use a “litter” type material that soaks up the urine and keeps odor down. I clean out this pan approximately 2 times per week. The other 2 clothed monkeys' pan still gets nasty with wasted food, etc….so I clean those too, but just not as often.

Outside cages:
When the weather is nice, and the temp is at least 60 degrees or higher, I take each monkey individually to their outside caging area. It is a custom made cage that is made so I can add length to it as I choose. Currently it is 10 ft wide, 6 ft tall, and 20 ft long, and has a double door entry. The cage is divided (not equally) into 3 separate areas, so that the monkeys are not in the cage together, but as on the inside cages, do have access to each other for grooming, etc. The outside enclosure has a concrete floor, and I hose it down, daily, and disinfect it regularly.

Both inside and outdoor cages have toys, swings, plastic mirrors, etc, etc, etc for enrichment. Approximately two times per year I go in and completely re-do the enrichment items in the cages to avoid boredom. There are some days that I switch the monkeys into different cages and that sometimes gets the same result.

Feeding:
2 of my monkey’s are toothless, so I soak 10 Zupreem chow biscuits for each of them morning and night, and cut each biscuit into quarters. (They seem to not waste as much that way)
For the toothed monkey, he has a tube that is filled with biscuits, and is refilled as needed. Once each day, about mid-day, I fix them a treat of steamed veggies, nuts, pasta, eggs, fiber sticks, fruit, or whatever I have on hand.

Diapering:
The two that wear diapers, wear diapers when inside the house. When they are in their outside enclosure, they are ALL NATURAL.

Bathing:
The 2 monks that wear diapers are bathed several times per week, but especially before every performance. The 3 rd monkey, is not bathed as often, but is wiped with a baby wipe approximately once per week, and bathed approximately once per month. (He hates his bath, so I try not to stress him unduly)

Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri)

Red-backed Squirrel ( S. oestedii)
Madeira River Squirrel (S. madeirae)
Black- headed Squirrel ( S. boliviensis)
Common Squirrel (Saimiri sciureus)

Life span: 15to 25 yrs.
Weight: 1.5 to 2.5 lbs
Body length: 10.5 to 14
Tail: 14 to 16.5 non-prehensile and used for balance and touch

Diet:
75 to 80% commercial new world diet, 15 to 20% fruit and vegetables, 5 to 10% high protein treats like eggs, yogurt or cheese and 2 to 5 % insects. They can be fed once a day. Provide fresh, clean water in plastic gravity-ball water bottles. Squirrel monkeys are susceptible to dehydration due to their short intestine and should be closely monitored for severe diarrhea and/or vomiting. If this should occur, you should seek immediate veterinary care.

Caging:
You should use no less than use 1" by 2" welded wire and the bigger the cage the better to avoid domination problems. You can suspend the cage 2 ft off the floor so waste falls through to shavings or newspaper on the floor under the cage for easier cleaning. PVC pipe and/or wire shelving can be used for perches . You can make hammocks from hand towels hung from the top of the cage by plastic chain. Thick ropes and large tree branches can be used in outside enclosures. There should be a partial cover for shade in outside enclosures as well. You can connect outside enclosure to inside cages with tunnels made of wire mesh connected to a window with a doggy door inserted for freedom of movement. Provide areas for privacy to avoid stress from humans, other monkeys, or noise. Squirrels are very susceptible to cardiovascular and renal problems due to naturally high levels of adrenal and gonadal hormones. Stress can increase the levels of these hormones and make the problem worse. It is very important to maintain them in a stable and calm environment.

Enrichment:
You can use food enrichment devices such as foraging boards with meal worms or other types of devices that make them have to “work “for their food. Change foods often to avoid boredom.

Spider Monkey (Ateles)

Black-handed or Geoffrey’s Spider (Ateles geoffroyi)
Brown-headed (A. fusciceps)
Long-haired or White bellied (S. belzebuth)
Black spider (A. paniscus)

Life span: 30 to 35 years
Weight: 13 to 25 lbs
Body length: 19 to 20
Tail: 27 to 30 prehinsile and is bare underneath towards the tip with sweat glands and sensory nerve tips.

Diet:
commercial chow, fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, yogurt, chicken, vegetation, peanut butter, yogurt. Chow is offered in a self feeder and kept full for free feeding. Feeding takes place once per day for the other offerings. Water is supplied from a LIXIT valve connected to an underground hose. If you house more than one monkey, provide more than one feeding station to avoid conflict.

Caging:
You can use chain link and caging should be as high as possible. Make sure to have a double door entry and padlocks on all cage doors. Spiders are a semi-brachiator (moving hand over hand while suspended by their arms). They need an enclosure that allows them to leap and swing. Make sure you have ample spacing between climbing structures and enclosure walls to encourage leaping. Washable platforms of varying widths should be supplied for walking upright and on all fours. Spiders need plenty of room for their differing modes of locomotion. Heavy ropes and tire swings should be provided throughout the enclosure. Make sure to keep all surfaces cleaned daily and disinfect weekly.

Enrichment:
Spiders love to climb on Little Tykes jungle gyms or swings. They also like to sleep and hide in hammocks made from bath towels or a strong tarp like material hung with heavy plastic chains. They will play with hard plastic toys and squeaky toys, hard plastic boomer balls and Playskool toys that light up or make noises. They enjoy snuggling in blankets or a soft dog bed and holding stuffed animals.

CALLITRICHIDAE

(Marmasets and Tamarins are now classified together into one family group).
Lifespan:10 to 18 years
Weight: 9 to 16 oz.
Body length: 9 to 12 “
Tail: 11 to 16 “, non-prehensile

Marmosets (callithrix)
Silvery Bare-ear Marmoset (Callithrix argentata)
Santaren or Tassle-eared Marmoset (C. humeralifer)
Common or Tufted-eared Marmoset ( C. jacchus)

Tamarins (saguinus)
Saddleback Tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis)

Diet:
Zupreem Marmaset diet, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains, unsweetened yogurt, dried fruit, flowers. Feed two to three times per day. Use Nutrical supplement as needed. Everything should be cut up small and changed often to avoid boredom. All fruits and vegetables should be chemical free because even a little pesticide can be fatal to a small monkey. Shop at health food stores or look in the organic food aisle in your grocery store. It is beneficial to grow plants inside the enclosure that provide sources of gum. Be sure to provide clean, fresh water at all times either with stainless steel bowls or gravity-ball tipped bottles. Gastrointestinal diseases are a common problem for Callitrichids in captivity. Feeding a diet containing seeds (roughage) help to stimulate the intestinal wall and will increase the rate of digestion.

Caging:
Because they are so small, Callitrichidae should be caged in a ½" square wire mesh or equivalent. You will need a double door entry and all doors should be padlocked. Provide perches and ledges, swings, ropes and heavy branches that crisscross high ceilings. All ropes or chains should be threaded through plastic PVC pipe to avoid strangulation. If it is possible, provide the enclosure with planted trees, vines, bushes, and other plants related to South American plant life. Provide small covered sleeping houses placed high in the enclosure. Clean all shelves, dishes, floors and water bottles nightly. Disinfect all surfaces of the cage at least once a week with a disinfecting solution and rinse thoroughly. Make sure to check for any places in the cage that a small monkey can escape or become trapped or injured. Keep the humidity level of indoor enclosures between 50-75% and if housed individually the temperature should be maintained between 80 to 82 degrees F. If they are housed in pairs or groups, they can withstand lower temperatures.

Enrichment:
Change the environment in your enclosure often and change food offerings often to avoid boredom. Marms and Tams like to climb and hide in different places within their environment. They would benefit from food enrichment devices such as foraging boards or hiding their food in different nooks and crannies in their enclosure.

OLD WORLD PRIMATES

Guenon Monkey (Cercopithecus)

Savanna Monkeys

Savanna Monkeys (aethiops group) are those that dwell in flat open regions with absence of trees.
Green Monkeys C. a. sebaeus)
Grivets ( C. a. aethiops)
Vervets ( C. a. pygerythrus)

Lifespan: 20 to 30 yrs.
Weight: 10 to 16 lbs. with males much larrger than females
Tail: quite long in proportion to their body and aids in balancing
Guenons have opposable thumbs, cheek pouches and ischial callosities or seat pads for resting.

Caging:
Chain link stretched onto metal or 4x4 treated posts. A minimum sized care for a singly housed Guenon should be 4x6x8 high. Add 25 % for each additional monkey. Provide shelves, tire swings, perches, hammocks, and nesting boxes for privacy. All surfaces should be cleaned daily and disinfected once a week. Outside cages should be partially covered to provide shade. Heat lamps can be used for heat during cold weather. Guenons need large, spacious enclosures with lots of open floor space. Climbing structures, play objects and privacy areas should be located at both the floor and mid levels. It is natural for Guenons to hide when frightened so it is important to have privacy areas such as large pipes or sleeping boxes.

Diet:
Old world chow should be free fed and then supplemental offerings of fruits, vegetables, browse (leaves, plants, stems), seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin, yogurt. Fresh clean water at all times.

Macaques (Macaca)

Java, Long-tailed or Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)
Rhesus (M. Mulatta)
Stump-tail or Red faced (M. arctoides)
Pig-tail (M. nemestrina)
Celebes or Crested Black Macaque (M. nigra)
Japanese Macaque or Snow Monkey ( M. fuscata)

lifespan: 25 to 30 yrs in captivity
Generally, Macaques have a stocky, sturdy build with a pronounced muzzle. They have opposable thumbs and cheek pouches. They are also equipped with seat pads (ischial callosities) for resting. Males are generally larger than females of the same species. Macaques are very strong and are masters of destruction. They are very highly intelligent and become bored very easily. Therefore, you need to take this into consideration when designing their housing and environment.

Caging:
Macaques need as much room as possible. For indoor caging, a whole room that has been waterproofed with floor drainage is ideal. Then a tunnel can be built from the indoor room to an outside enclosure made from 9 gauge chain link fencing or wire horse panels with 2x4 mesh supported by metal poles or treated 4x4 posts every 4 or 5 feet. Corn cribs make excellent macaque cages and are usually large enough for the species to be housed. All cages need double door entries and padlocks on all doors. Safety is a must for all species of NHP’s, but even more so with some Macaques. A shift door or lock out should be used in all caging so that cleaning and maintenance can be done without going directly in with some adult macaques. Macaques love to climb, jump, run, and swing. They like to have some say in their environment so large pipes, plastic dog houses or Little Tykes jungle gyms should be provided for them to move around within their enclosure as they wish. Their enclosures should contain lots of shelving at different levels and all should be made of material that can stand up to their destructive nature. Inspect all cages on a regular basis for signs of destruction and make repairs as needed.

Diet:
Macaques should have a main diet of Old World Primate chow which is free fed in a sturdy washable container. They can be supplemented with fruits, vegetables, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, browse, nuts, pasta, and bread. Variety is important in order to maintain their interest in food. Fresh water should be available at all times and can be provided from a Lixit valve or other stationary watering device that is capable of withstanding abuse. Macaques find great delight in stuffing objects in their Lixit valve or finding ways to “undo” their watering systems. Trial and error is the best way to find out what works for you.

Enrichment:
Food enrichment devices such as foraging boards, Buster cubes, or treat feeders made from PVC pipe will keep a macaque occupied for a while but they will become bored easily so devices need to be changed often. Swings made from “muck buckets” hung with strong chains, old fire hose hung in their enclosure for climbing, large ropes, tree branches, plastic dog houses , plastic barrels, Little Tykes riding toys, and large pipes for hiding are all good choices for macaques. The sturdier the better. Macaques like to play with hard plastic toys and then destroy them when they are bored with them. So keep that in mind when buying toys. Good Will or the Salvation Army are great places to buy toys for macaques. Be sure to disinfect them in a bleach solution before giving them to your monkey. Check toys often for signs of breakage and/or danger. Most adult macaques lose interest in toys as they mature and are more interested in food enrichment and watching TV. The hardest part of owning a macaque is keeping them mentally stable by constantly developing and improving their environment.

APES

Chimpanzee

Height: at maturity about 4 1/2 feet
Weight: at maturity, approximate...females 75 to 125
males 100 to 150 or more
Longevity: up to 60 years or more

Chimps in captivity tend to live longer and grow larger than their wild cousins. Chimps can top 200 pounds if their diet is not controlled.

Diet:
Staples are fruits, vegetables, monkey chow. Mine enjoy oatmeal, fruit yogurt, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Gatorade, fruit juice or milk. "Monkey milkshakes" can be made by soaking monkey chow in warm water in the blender and adding banana, yogurt, and other healthy ingredients. In hot weather we give them fruit pop cycles, frozen grapes, or ice cubes. In cold & flu season I give extra vitamin C. Infants are fed baby formula and poly-vi-sol vitamins for 2 years or until they are eating a variety of other foods.

Caging:
Chimpanzees are up to 8 times stronger than a man and need very strong caging. Building materials include solid steel bars and concrete block or their strength equivalent. Cages should have double safety entrances and 2 locks. Bigger is better but minimum size for 2 chimps should be not less than 20 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 8 feet tall with a heated night house for cold weather. A very important point to make here is that even though a chimp is in an enclosure, they need to be monitored at all times. Because of their strength and intelligence, they can find ways to injure themselves even in what you think is a safe enclosure. Having a full time job and leaving a chimp home alone is not an option. You would need to hire a full time babysitter while you are at work.

Enrichment:
Chimpanzees are highly intelligent and easily bored. It is important to keep them stimulated mentally as well as physically. Cages can include hammocks, automatic watering systems, balls, tire swings, barrels, and even trampolines. Any chains or ropes should be covered with heavy PVC pipe. Night houses can include mirrors and TV with VCR or DVD for playing movies. For captive-raised chimps there is no substitute for human interaction. Even an adult caged chimp enjoys cage tag, chasing bubbles or grooming through the bars. Babies and Juveniles just want to be anywhere you are. They will sit in a highchair, ride in a car seat or coach, and learn to paint or ride a tri-cycle. They love being read to, rocked, and playing all the same games we play with human babies.

Chimps As Pets:
There is nothing cuter than a baby chimp. However, the babies grow up very fast, and very strong. At puberty, usually between 7 and 9 years old, chimps can become very aggressive, especially with outsiders. If you don't live where you can meet the needs of an adult, it can be difficult to find someone who can. Because chimps can get all the same childhood diseases as children and have a natural instinct to dominate, chimpanzees and small children do not make a good combination. Finding a vet to care for a chimpanzee is another obstacle that must be overcome. It is illegal to own chimps as pets in many states and others require special permits for commercial use only. Chimps are expensive to buy and can cost from 35 to 65 thousand dollars depending on the sex and age. As with all primates, be sure to do all your homework, check on the laws in your state, and talk to the people who have them before considering a chimpanzee.

Nancy Nighswander

Non Human Primate Element Representative