Primate Species
What kind of pet monkey do you prefer?
Before you can buy a monkey, you will have to find out what type of monkey you're looking for. Are you looking for an intelligent monkey like a capuchin or a smaller monkey like a marmoset or a tamarin. Perhaps you are looking for something in between like a squirrel monkey? Maybe you would rather like to have a mouse-sized monkey like a pygmy marmoset? Hopefully the details and pictures below will make you help the right decision.
List of primates commonly kept as pet monkeys
General information per species
Capuchins
| Lifespan: | 35-45 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 12-22 inches (30-55 cm) Tail: 12-22 inches (30-56 cm) |
| Weight: | 4-15 pounds (1.8-6.8kg). Females are usually smaller than males |
Brown pale-fronted capuchin(Cebus albifrons)
(c) Copyright - Ivan Crab
White faced capuchin(Cebus capucinus)
(c) Philip Greenspun
Black-capped capuchin(Cebus appella)
Guenons
| Vervet | |
| Lifespan: | 20-25 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 17.9-25.7 inches (46-66cm) Tail: 19.5-28.1 inches (50-72cm) |
| Weight: | Females: 7-9 pounds (3.5-4.5kg) Males: 9-10 pounds (4-5kg) |
Green Monkey(C. aethiops)
Grivet(C. aethiops sabaeus)
Vervet(C. aethiops pygerythus)
Macaques
| Celebes Macaque | |
| Lifespan: | 25-30 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 22-31 inches (60-80 cm) Tail: .39-.78 inches (10-20 mm) |
| Weight: | 13-35 pounds (6-16kg). |
| Java Macaque | |
| Lifespan: | 25-30 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 15-24 inches (38-65 cm) Tail: 15.6-26 inches (40-65 cm) |
| Weight: | 8-22 pounds (4-10 kg) |
| Pig-tailed Macaque | |
| Lifespan: | 25-30 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 19.5-27 inches (50-68 cm) Tail: 5-9.5 inches (14-24.5 cm) |
| Weight: | 10-35 pounds (4.5-16 kg) |
| Rhesus Macaque | |
| Lifespan: | 25-30 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 15-24 inches (38.5-65 cm) Tail: 7-12 inches (38.5-65 cm) |
| Weight: | 10-30 pounds (4.5-14 kg) |
| Stump-tailed Macaque | |
| Lifespan: | 25-30 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 23-25 inches (60-64 cm) Tail: .39-.78 inches (10-20 mm) |
| Weight: | 22-33 pounds (10-15 kg) |
Rhesus Macaque
(Macaca Mulatta)
Marmosets
| Common Marmoset | |
| Lifespan: | 7-20 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 7-12 inches (18-30 cm) Tail: 7-16 inches (17-40 cm) |
| Weight: | 10-18 ounces (300-500 grams) |
| Geoffroy's Marmoset | |
| Lifespan: | 7-16 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 7-8 inches (18-20 cm) Tail: 9-11 inches (23-29 cm) |
| Weight: | 10-12 ounces (300-360 grams) |
| Pygmy Marmoset | |
| Lifespan: | over 16 years |
| Length: | The pygmy marmoset is one of the smallest monkey on earth !!! Head + Body: 4.7-5.8 inches (12-15 cm) Tail: 6.6-9 inches (17-23 cm) |
| Weight: | 3.5-4.5 ounces (100-120g). At birth the young weigh appr 0.5 ounces (15g). |
| Silvery Marmoset | |
| Lifespan: | over 10 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 7-10.9 inches (18-28 cm) Tail: 10.3-14.8 inches (26-38 cm) |
| Weight: | 10.6-12.7 ounces (300-360 grams) |
Common Marmoset(Callithrix jacchus jacchus)
Pygmy Marmoset(Cebuella pygmaea)
(c) Copyright - Ivan Crab
Geoffroy's Marmoset(Callithrix jacchus geoffroyi)
(c) Copyright - Ivan Crab
Silvery Marmoset(Callithrix argentata argentata)
(c) Copyright - Ivan Crab
Squirrel Monkeys
| Lifespan: | 15-25 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: up to 12.5 inches (31 cm) Tail: 16 inches (40 cm) |
| Weight: | appr 33.3 ounces (950g) for males appr 22.8 ounces (650g) for females |
Common Squirrel monkey
(Saimiri sciureus)
Photo Credit - Brian Due Hansen
Spider Monkeys
| Lifespan: | 30-35 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 19-20 inches (48-52 cm) Tail: 27-30 inches (70-78 cm) |
| Weight: | 13-25 pounds (6-12 kg) |
Brown-headed spider monkey
(Ateles fusciceps)
Tamarins
| Cotton-Top Tamarin | |
| Lifespan: | 15 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 7.8-11.3 inches (200-290mm) Tail: 12.1-16.4 inches (310-420mm) |
| Weight: | 12.3 to 15.0 ounces (350- 450g) |
| Golden Lion Tamarin | |
| Lifespan: | 15 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 7.8 - 13.3 inches (200-340mm) Tail: 12.3 - 15.6 inches (315-400mm) |
| Weight: | 12.7-25 ounces (360-710 g) |
| Emperor Tamarin | |
| Lifespan: | 18 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 9.2-10.4 inches (235-265mm) Tail: 14-16.6 inches (347-423mm) |
| Weight: | 10.7-14 ounces (300-400 g) |
| Black Tamarin | |
| Lifespan: | 16 years |
| Length: | Head + Body: 7.5-8.2 inches (190-210mm) Tail: appr 10 inches (250mm) |
| Weight: | 9-13 ounces (250-365g) |
Cotton-Top tamarin(Leontopithecus rosalia)
(c) Copyright - Ivan Crab
Golden lion tamarin(Leontopithecus rosalia)
(c) Copyright - Ivan Crab
Emperor tamarin(Saguinus Emperator
Moustached tamarin(Saguinus Mistax)
Red Handed tamarin(Saguinus Midas)
Saddle-back tamarin(Saguinus fuscicollis Emperator)