The Ecuadorian squirrel monkey (''Saimiri cassiquiarensis macrodon'') is a type of

squirrel monkey Squirrel monkeys are New World monkeys of the genus ''Saimiri''. ''Saimiri'' is the only genus in the subfamily Saimiriinae. The name of the genus is of Tupi origin (''sai-mirím'' or ''çai-mbirín'', with ''sai'' meaning 'monkey' and ''mirím' ...

. It had been considered a subspecies of the Guianan squirrel monkey, ''Saimiri sciureus'', but was elevated to a full species, ''S. macrodon'', based on a 2009 study by Carretero-Pinzón, ''et al''. Based on subsequent genetic research by Jessica Lynch Alfaro, ''et al'' it was again reclassified as a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of Humboldt's squirrel monkey. The Ecuadorian squirrel monkey lives in the western

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

, as well as southern

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, eastern

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and northern and eastern

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. It lives in humid tropical and subtropical forest, preferring dense forest but able to live in

secondary forest A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has regenerated through largely natural processes after human-caused Disturbance (ecology), disturbances, such as Logging, timber harvest or agriculture clearing, or ...

and disturbed forest as well. It can live at elevations up to , but where it has been studied in Ecuador it prefers elevations under . The Ecuadorian squirrel monkey has a head and body length of between with a tail length between . Males weigh between and females weigh between . Its coloration is similar to that of the Guianan squirrel monkey but its fur is darker. Ecuadorian squirrel monkey (Saimiri macrodon) Rio Napo.jpg, adult in Ecuador Ecuadorian squirrel monkey (Saimiri macrodon) juvenile Rio Napo.jpg, juvenile in Ecuador

References

{{Cebidae nav Squirrel monkeys Mammals described in 1907 Taxa named by Daniel Giraud Elliot Primates of Brazil Mammals of Colombia Mammals of Peru Mammals of Ecuador