Head to head
Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey vs Woolly Monkey
Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey
VS Woolly Monkey
The yellow-tailed woolly monkey and woolly monkey both belong to the genus Lagothrix, stocky, shaggy-coated monkeys with powerful gripping tails, but one is a rare Andean specialist and the other an Amazonian species.
| Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey | Woolly Monkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lagothrix flavicauda | Lagothrix lagotricha |
| Relationship | A close relative of the woolly monkey, in the same genus | A close relative of the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, in the same genus |
| Range | Cloud forests of the Peruvian Andes, on steep mountain slopes | Rainforest across parts of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins |
| Appearance | Long, thick, reddish-brown fur, a white patch around the nose and mouth, and a yellowish patch under the base of the tail | A notably stocky, muscular build with thick, dense fur |
| Tail | A strong tail that grips like a fifth limb | A fully prehensile tail capable of supporting its entire body weight |
| Diet | Fruit, leaves, flowers, and seeds | Mainly ripe fruit, along with leaves and seeds |
| Recent history | Thought lost for decades before scientists rediscovered it in the 1970s | Faces significant hunting pressure for bushmeat across parts of its range |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, with a decreasing population | Vulnerable, with a decreasing population |
Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey vs Woolly Monkey: common questions
Which woolly monkey was rediscovered in the 1970s?
The yellow-tailed woolly monkey, which scientists rediscovered in the 1970s after it had been thought lost for decades.
Why is it called the yellow-tailed woolly monkey?
It has a yellowish patch of fur under the base of its tail.
Where do the yellow-tailed and common woolly monkeys live?
The yellow-tailed woolly monkey lives only in the cloud forests of the Peruvian Andes, while the woolly monkey lives in rainforest across parts of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.