New Monkey Discovered in Amazon Rain Forest
Posted on July 7, 2009
A new monkey has been discovered in the Brazilian Amazon. The monkey was discovered in a remote part of the Amazon rain forest. It is related to saddleback tamarin monkeys. It was first spotted by scientists in 2007.
Reuters is reporting that the small monkey only weighs about half a pound. It is primarily gray and brown. The monkey has been named Mura's saddleback tamarin after the Mura Indian tribe of the Purus and Madeira river basins. Reuters also says the monkey is 240 millimeters (9.4 inches) tall and has a 320 millimeter (12.6 inch) tail.
Fabio Rohe, the lead author of the WCS study, says in a statement, "This newly described monkey shows that even today there are major wildlife discoveries to be made."
The newly discovered monkey is yet another reason why the Amazon rain forest needs to be protected.