Ajax: The Definitive Guide

By Anthony T. Holdener III
Book Price: $49.99 USD
£30.99 GBP
PDF Price: $39.99

Cover | Table of Contents | Colophon

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Colophon

The animal on the cover of Ajax: The Definitive Guide is a woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha, Oreonoax flavicauda). Woolly monkeys inhabit the rain forests in the upper and middle areas of the Amazon basin west of the Negro and Tapajos rivers. They spend most of their time high in the tree canopy, rarely making their way to the forest floor. They are able to easily jump across wide gaps between trees; to navigate narrow limbs to access nuts, fruits, and seedpods; and even to sleep securely 150 feet above ground.



Adult woolly monkeys are 20-24 inches tall and weigh 13-17 pounds. Their features include black, hairless faces, extremely long limbs, and opposable big toes. They have forward-facing eyes, which provide them with the stereoscopic vision necessary for judging depth and distance as they travel through the treetops. They are also sensitive to the color green, a fact that helps them distinguish the various shades found in their jungle habitat. As their name suggests, woolly monkeys are covered with dense, pale gray-brown fur; this thick coat protects them from the elements and insect bites. Each hair is striped with white, which reflects the surrounding jungle colors and helps camouflage them against predators such as eagles, jaguars, and humans. Their most distinctive feature is their long, prehensile tail, which can support the full weight of the monkey as it hangs from tree limbs to rest or collect food. The tail can actually grasp objects as well, and woolly monkeys often use it to collect fruit or leaves. The top third of the tail's underside is smooth, allowing for a firm grip.



Woolly monkeys live in groups of 10-45 individuals, but split off into smaller groups of 2-6 to forage for food. They communicate via an elaborate system of vocal, visual, olfactory, and tactile cues, and have a friendly relationship within the larger group, greeting each other with embraces and kisses on the mouth. Their social hierarchy is organized by age, sex, activity, and the reproductive status of females. Reproduction is characterized as promiscuous; one male will generally mate with all the group's females, and vice versa. There is usually a dominant male who leads the group, ensuring their security and sense of well-being. He assumes the role of peacemaker as well, diffusing fights and disciplining the instigating monkey by shaking it vigorously.



The birth of a woolly monkey is a social occasion; it is attended by experienced mothers who help clean up, youngsters who observe and learn, and adult males who provide comfort and protection to the laboring mother. A newborn woolly monkey clings to its mother for the first three months of its life, first to her chest and gradually making its way to her back. Although they nurse for two years, infant monkeys generally incorporate solid foods into their diet at approximately two months of age. They determine what to eat by imitating the mother, but the first solids they try are often the crumbs and peels their mothers accidentally drop on their heads. Mothers never intentionally give their infants food, nor do they pick them up or put them down; rather, they encourage self-reliance in their offspring and do not give birth again until the child is completely independent.

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