Monkeys are one of the intelligent animals that can be found in South America
and Central Asia. There are 264 known species living in this world. Monkeys
range in size up to a length of 14-16 cm (5-6 inch) long (including tail) and
120-140 g (4-5 oz) of weight.
Some monkeys, however, live on land and occupy open areas. Monkeys vary greatly
in size and can live up to 30 - 35 years. Some monkeys stand out for their unusual
physical appearance. Monkey behavior ranges from the friendly to the aggressive
towards humans. The diet of monkeys differ among various species but most monkeys
is based primarily on plant foods, such as fruits, flowers, seeds, leaves, nuts,
insects, spiders, eggs and small animals.
Humans have brought many monkey species to the verge of extinction through
hunting or destruction of their natural habitat. Humans have long been fascinated
by monkeys, both as interesting creatures in their own right and as a source
of information about the human species. Few countries including USA and France
had used monkeys as their part of space exploration programmes. The first monkey
name Albert 11 flew into the space in June 14th 1949.
