What are the differences between monkeys and apes? Name the lower and greater apes. Why great apes are considered closer to man? How apes take rest during night?

          The first groups of higher primates are the monkeys. All monkeys except marmosets and tamarins have well-developed fingers and toes. They have nails instead of claws, which they use to grasp things and pick up food. Most feed on fruit, leaves, insects and other small creatures. Large monkeys, such as baboons, will kill hares or young deer.

          Most monkeys live in trees although some come down to feed or travel. Baboons can walk for long distances on all fours. When in the trees, monkeys leap or swing from branch to branch. The spider monkeys and howler monkeys of Central and South America have prehensile tails. This means they can use their tails like an extra limb, to grasp on to branches and even hang, leaving their hands free to feed.

 

          All apes have long arms, no tails, and can stand and walk upright on two legs. The lesser apes, the Gibbons, live in the rainforest of Southeast Asia. They hang from the trees, moving each powerful arm in turn to swing their bodies along.

          Chimpanzees, orang-utans and gorillas are known as the great apes. Chimpanzees and gorillas usually travel along the ground on all fours. Chimpanzees feed both on the ground and in the trees, eating insects, fruit and leaves. They will also hunt and kill monkeys, pigs or deer. Gorillas feed only on ground-level vegetation.

          All the great apes make “nests” to sleep in at night. They tear and bend leafy branches to make a platform in a tree or a cushion on the hard ground. A fresh nest is usually built every night. Adults have their own nests but babies sleep with their mothers.

          Orang-utans differ from the other great apes because they spend most of their time in the trees. Their very long arms and hook-shaped hands and feet allow them to climb and swing between branches. Only very large males spend much time on the ground. Orang-utans live alone, travelling through the Southeast Asian rainforest in search of fruit to eat.

         The great apes are the closest relatives to humans. They are able to use tools, solve problems and learn quickly. They live in societies that are often similar to our own. However, like many other animals, the survival of the great apes is threatened by hunting and the destruction of the great rainforests of Africa and Asia.

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