The Squirrel Monkey of Costa Rica - Saimiri oerstedii
This beautiful and endangered monkey is an omnivore that inhabits the rainforest of Costa Rica. They pass by my house almost every day in large groups with always some mothers and babies amongst them. They have the most amazing energy and are playful and always it seems, hungry.
They have the most beautiful voices that really sounds like chattering birdsong. They are small in size, the smallest of all four primates found in Costa Rica.
They enjoy eating many sorts of berries, fruits and flowers.
Their habitat is restricted to just the tip of North Western Panama and the Pacific southern coast of Costa Rica. Their numbers are hopefully increasing since hunting them has become illegal but deforestation is an on going problem that had caused their numbers to dwindle.
To me they are without doubt the most charming monkeys I have ever encountered and I always rush to grab my camera when I hear their voices.