Editing Spider monkey (section)

{{Short description|Genus of mammals belonging to the New World monkeys}}
{{Other uses|undefined = }}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|name = Spider monkey<ref name=msw3/>
|image = Ateles fusciceps Colombia.JPG
|image_caption = [[Black-headed spider monkey]] (''Ateles fusciceps'')
|taxon = Ateles
|authority = [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|É. Geoffroy]], 1806
|type_species = ''[[Simia paniscus]]''
|type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
|range_map = Spider monkey (Ateles) range.png
|range_map_caption = Range of the spider monkeys
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = See text
}}

'''Spider monkeys''' are [[New World monkey]]s belonging to the [[genus]] '''''Ateles''''', part of the subfamily [[Atelinae]], family [[Atelidae]]. Like other atelines, they are found in [[tropical forest]]s of Central and South America, from southern [[Mexico]] to [[Brazil]]. The genus consists of seven species, all of which are under threat; the [[brown spider monkey]] is critically endangered. They are also notable for their ability to be easily [[Monkey breeding|bred]] in captivity.

Disproportionately long limbs and long [[prehensile tail]]s make them one of the largest New World monkeys and give rise to their common name. Spider monkeys live in the upper layers of the [[rainforest]] and [[forage]] in the high canopy, from {{convert|25|to|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Lang2007">{{cite web |last=Cawthon Lang |first=K.A. |date=April 10, 2007 |title=Primate factsheets: black spider monkey (''Ateles fusciceps'') taxonomy, morphology, and ecology |publisher=Wisconsin Primate Research Center (WPRC) |url=http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/black_spider_monkey |access-date=May 20, 2009 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807105207/http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/black_spider_monkey |url-status=live }}</ref> They primarily eat fruits, but will also occasionally consume leaves, flowers, and insects.<ref name="Lang2007"/> Due to their large size, spider monkeys require large tracts of moist evergreen forests, and prefer undisturbed primary rainforest.<ref name="Lang2007"/> They are social animals and live in bands of up to 35 individuals, but will split up to forage during the day.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Spider monkey |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]] |year=2009 |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/559849/spider-monkey |access-date=May 20, 2009 |archive-date=September 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904153912/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/559849/spider-monkey |url-status=live }}</ref>

Recent [[meta-analysis|meta-analyses]] on [[primate cognition]] studies indicated spider monkeys are the most intelligent New World monkeys.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Deaner, R.O. |author2=van Schaik, C.P. |author3=Johnson, V.E. |name-list-style=amp |year=2006 |title=Do some taxa have better domain-general cognition than others? A meta-analysis |journal=Evolutionary Psychology |volume=4 |pages=149–196 |doi=10.1177/147470490600400114 |s2cid=16702785 |doi-access=free}}</ref> They can produce a wide range of sounds and will "bark" when threatened; other vocalisations include a whinny similar to a horse and prolonged screams.<ref name="Britannica"/>

They are an important food source due to their large size, so are widely hunted by local human populations; they are also threatened by [[habitat destruction]] due to logging and land clearing.<ref name="Britannica"/> Spider monkeys are susceptible to malaria and are used in laboratory studies of the disease.<ref name="Britannica"/> The population trend for spider monkeys is decreasing; the [[IUCN Red List]] lists one species as [[vulnerable species|vulnerable]], five species as [[endangered species|endangered]] and one species as [[Critically endangered species|critically endangered]].