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Primates of the World
Jean-Jacques Petter François Desbordes Translated by Robert Martin
Princeton University Press, 2013 ($29.95)
Woolly monkeys, rotund yet agile primates of South America, look plump because of their thick fur, which is the densest possessed by any primate. Muriqui spider monkeys are also known as hippie monkeys for their tendency to hug one another in times of stress. In infancy, bearded saki monkeys use their prehensile tails as a “fifth hand” but lose that grasping ability as they mature. These are but a few of the delightfully surprising facts peppered through this beautifully illustrated tour of the lives and behaviors of our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom.
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