How to Keep a Spider Monkey as a Pet

Keeping a spider monkey as a pet is complicated. Spider monkeys are cute but their exotic nature requires further care than typical domestic pets. Spider monkeys are primates and as such are intelligent animals. Disease is an important consideration and special attention must be paid to hygiene.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Buy spider monkeys only from reputable dealers as the illegal animal trade is especially active with sales of primates. Spider monkeys are arboreal species from tropical America and wild monkeys are not fit for keeping as pets.

2. Prepare the habitat for the spider monkey. Special attention must be paid to the monkey's climbing habitat. Spider monkeys have extremely strong prehensile tails and in nature they spend most of their time in the trees. Domesticated spider monkeys should have a habitat constructed from non-toxic natural materials.

3. Create a warm, climate controlled environment for the spider monkey. Spider monkeys are tropical animals and cold weather and drafts can cause respiratory illnesses and death. In addition, proper humidity levels should be maintained during the winter months.

4. Find a trusted animal doctor for emergencies. Reputable dealers of spider monkeys can recommend capable veterinarians and sources for pharmaceuticals. Do not give medicines intended for humans to spider monkeys.

5. Protect spider monkeys from other domestic animals such as cats and dogs. Domestic animals are territorial and will compete with and try to eliminate new animals. Spider monkeys are especially curious about other animals and will harass household pets if allowed to roam freely.

Tips & Warnings

• Monkeys can be dangerous as pets because they can transmit serious diseases to humans and are likely to turn violent as they grow older.

[wastingtime]

on 3/8/2009 Monkeys do NOT tranmit diseases to humans unless you are talking about the monkeys that live in the Rain Forests, hard telling what they may have, but most likely nothing..considering the natives eat them! Monkeys have not been imported into the US for over 30 yrs, the monkeys that are bred and born here have vet checks and they are disease free. Unless you are talking about lab macaques who are purposely injected with a disease. WE are the ones that carry diseases. Why do you think the zoos keep them safely away, behind glass?? It's not to protect us from them, it's to protect them from us!! I really wish people would get the facts straight instead of spreading this asinine rumor!