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)