Primates: Primates

There are many different types of primates. Some are very small—the smallest primate is the pygmy mouse lemur, which weighs only one ounce (30 grams). Others are very large—the largest primate is an adult male gorilla. A full-grown male gorilla can weigh 375 pounds (170 kilograms) or more, and be as tall as 6 feet (1.8 meters). Primates include the lemurs, lorises and bushbabies, tarsiers, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, apes, and humans.

Because there are so many different types of primates, appearance varies quite a bit. Body hair may be long, as in the orangutan or the golden lion tamarin. Other primates have short fur all over the body, such as the chimpanzee or pygmy marmoset. There are many quite colorful primates. The male mandrill of Central Africa has bright red and blue on his face and red, blue, and violet coloration on his rump. The Japanese macaque is medium brown with a red face. The golden langur of China has flame orange fur with a bright blue face.

But even though primates may be quite different in size and color, they do have many things in common. Primates tend to have longer arms and legs in relation to body size than other mammals. Their hands and feet are shaped so that they can hold on to objects very well. On a primate's foot, the big toe is set far apart from the other four digits, or toes. This allows an especially strong wraparound grasp on branches. Every primate has this special grasping action of its feet except humans. The ventral or bottom surface of both hands and feet have special pads that help primates grip. This is another way that enables primates to achieve a better hold on tree limbs. Also, primates usually have rounded skulls with a large brain for their body size. Their eyes are set forward in the face for stereoscopic vision, which allows them to see things around them in three-dimensions (or "3-D"), rather than two-dimensions, like a page in a book.