The White-Faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia) is an arboreal primate monkey. It is a mammal in the Pitheciidae family. It is also called the Guianan Saki and the Golden-Faced Saki.
The male White-Faced Saki has blackish fur with a reddish-white forehead, face, and throat, and a bushy tail. Its face is whiter than the female’s face. The female has shorter hair, with brownish-grey fur and white or pale-brown stripes around the corners of her nose and mouth.
It grows to 33-38 centimetres (13-15 inches) tall.
It is native to countries in South America, such as Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
It prefers to live in tropical forests. It is arboreal, living in trees, but it feeds on the ground. It is excellent at swinging from tree to tree, which is called brachiation. It is a leaper.
The White-Faced Saki is diurnal, active during the day. It sleeps in trees. It feeds on fruit, nuts, seeds, and insects. Its predators include eagles, jaguars, anacondas, and boa constrictors.
It is a social animal, living in groups of up to 30 individuals.
The male and female form a monogamous pair for life. The female is pregnant for 20-21 weeks, before giving birth to one live young.
It lives, on average, for about 14-20 years.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM