24-07-2023
Spider monkeys are New world monkeys
Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus Ateles,
part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines,
they are found in tropical forests 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 bred in captivity.
Disproportionately long limbs and long prehensile tails 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 25 to 30m (82 to 98ft).
They primarily eat fruits, but will also occasionally consume leaves, flowers, and insects.
Due to their large size, spider monkeys require large tracts of moist evergreen forests, and prefer undisturbed primary rainforest.They are social animals and live in bands of up to 35 individuals, but will split up to forage during the day.
Recent meta-analyses on primate cognition studies indicated spider monkeys are the most intelligent New World monkeys.
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.
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.
Spider monkeys are susceptible to malaria and are used in laboratory studies of the disease.
The population trend for spider monkeys is decreasing; the IUCN Red List lists one species as vulnerable, five species as endangered and one species as critically endangered.
want to read more? go to the source we used : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_monkey
07-07-2023
This tree is the supplier of natural gum for the production of chewing gum,
It also offers us delicious and succulent fruits on the palate.
Even its wood is widely used due to its tolerance to weathering, to such a degree
that it has even been found in various ancient Mayan buildings as structural lintels.
The chicozapote is a large evergreen tree, 25 to 30 m (up to 45 m) tall with a diameter at breast height of up to 1.25 m, without buttresses, with a broad, dense and irregular crown. Leaves arranged in a spiral, agglomerated at the tips of the branches, simple; blade 5.5-18 cm long and 2-7 cm wide, elliptic to oblong, margin entire; dark green, shiny above, pale below; glabrous, papyraceous The trunk is straight, ribbed at the bottom with sympodial growth, without buttresses. The basals are horizontal. The external bark deeply fissured, forming more or less rectangular pieces, very suberified, dark brown. Internal pinkish cream color, fibrous, with an abundant white and sticky milky exudate, very bitter and astringent: Total thickness: 20 to 25 mm. Axillary solitary flowers, sometimes crowded at the tips of the branches; sweetly scented actinomorphic flowers; sepals greenish brown, corolla white, 10 mm long, broadly tubular. The fruit is a berry from 5 to 10 cm in diameter with a persistent calyx and style, brown and rough skin; fleshy and juicy endocarp, very sweet. The immature fruits have a certain amount of latex inside. The fruit normally contains 5 seeds.
Timber species. Due to its excellent quality, it is used in lintels, beams, sleepers, floors, columns, vehicle parts, ship frames, luxury furniture, interior decoration, marine constructions, joinery, parquet, bearings, factory floors, warehouses, auditoriums and room houses. Fine texture and straight grain, takes a good polish. In Yucatan it is currently being protected for its commercial fruits and its timber exploitation has been prohibited. The wood is hard reddish and very resistant to insects. It is recommended for crafts and musical instruments. The latex that emanates from the trunk contains 20 to 40% rubber. It is used as a raw material to make chewing gum (marqueta). The tree is bled every two or three years. The fruit, called chicozapote boy, is highly appreciated and jams and syrups are made with it for its pleasant sweet flavor. For this use it is traded in regional markets. Rural construction (exterior constructions). The chicozapote wood has remarkable hardness and durability. In pre-Hispanic times it was used in the construction of Mayan temples and pyramids. In rural locations it is used to make agricultural implements, handles for tools. In industry it is used in the manufacture of waterproof paints and varnishes, as well as insulators in electrical conduction cables. As a medicinal use, they attribute curative properties against dysentery and diarrhea, for these it is recommended to take the cooking or the macerated bark as water for use, it also has the property of lowering fever. As the seeds contain resins and fats, they are used as a diuretic; For this, it is enough to grind and mix five or six of them with water and sugar. In some northern areas, several leaves are boiled to be taken three times a day as a tea to normalize high blood pressure. Likewise, the infusion prepared with several seeds is ingested -a cup a day- to mitigate the pain caused by a scorpion bite. It is important not to use more than 10 seeds because they are emetic. The seeds and leaves contain enough hydrocyanic acid to be toxic. The bark contains an alkaloid, sapotin, and is used to combat fever and dysentery. Stem: used for pustules. The immature fruit is astringent. Seed: antipony. Plant: stomach ache, diarrhea.
Text and picture source: gouvernment of Mexico
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