New England Primate Conservancy

05/31/2026

Crested black macaques are famous for their expressive faces! Like all primates, they use these expressions to communicate emotions. Use your imagination and use any colors you want. This activity includes a BBC Earth video, fascinating facts, and four coloring pages for you to enjoy. Lots to learn! Educational standards are provided as well. https://neprimateconservancy.org/coloring-crested-black-macaque/

05/31/2026

All howler monkeys are known for their loud booming howling calls, and red howlers are some of the loudest. These howls can be heard up to 3 miles (5 km) away. Red howlers are known for an enlarged U-shaped hyoid bone in their neck. The hyoid bone connects to a flexible cartilage structure that expands their vocal muscles. This helps make the signature howling call loud and distinct. Males have a larger hyoid and vocal capacity than females, which explains why males have a louder call than females. Learn more: https://neprimateconservancy.org/purus-red-howler/

05/30/2026

Spectacular!

05/30/2026

Bearded capuchins communicate using a wide variety of facial expressions, including scalp-lifting, lip-smacking, and the open-mouth threat face. Facial expressions are used during courtship rituals, but also during other aggressive and bonding encounters, along with gestures, vocalizations, and body postures. They emit a number of vocalizations, including alarm calls upon spotting predators, contact calls, whistles, and stress-related calls. Grooming is not only used to remove dirt and parasites but also to reinforce social bonds and the hierarchies within the group. Learn more: https://neprimateconservancy.org/bearded-capuchin/

05/29/2026

As part of our "Discovering Primates: A Video Journey" series for elementary and middle school grades, we explore the "Who, What, Where, Why, and How" of primates. This video is the "HOW."
HOW You Can Help and What YOU Can Do. Wondering what you can do to help primates specifically and wildlife in general? Find out here! (https://youtu.be/J6pwSmDSeYs) https://youtu.be/J6pwSmDSeYs

As part of our "Discovering Primates: A Video Journey" series for e...

05/29/2026

Goeldi’s monkeys are a highly social species and have a diverse repertoire of communication techniques. Vocalizations, facial expressions, body language, and olfaction (scent) communication are all used to convey a variety of messages.
Up to 40 different vocalizations are used to communicate with each other, including long-distance contact calls, long-distance location calls, short-distance contact calls, short-distance location calls, alarm calls, warning calls, and agonistic calls. This collection is composed of whistles, chirps, screams, and twitters. Long-distance cries are slow, with a decrease in frequency towards the end. They sound like high-pitched whistles and can be monosyllabic or have a minute rhythm, traveling more than 328 feet (100 m). Short-distance calls consist of rapid bursts of clicking to find family members during movement or to communicate during feeding. Learn more: https://neprimateconservancy.org/goeldis-monkey/

05/28/2026

Why is protecting primates vital to the health of our planet? In this video, we explore the important role primates play in maintaining Earth’s biodiversity. From their influence on forest growth to their connection with people and ecosystems around the world.

7 likes. "WHY Primates?—Heroes of Biodiversity"

05/28/2026

The similarities scientists found between greater bamboo lemurs’ and pandas’ teeth reflect their very specialized diet. Both species specialize in bamboo. Greater bamboo lemurs survive almost exclusively on large-culled bamboo, constituting 95% of their diet. Because the bamboo they eat is quite large, the lemurs have been observed holding a stem with both hands while painstakingly biting the bamboo to break it open. Learn more:https://neprimateconservancy.org/greater-bamboo-lemur/

05/27/2026

"What are primates?" highlights the traits that define all primates—while revealing that, with such complex animals, there’s an exception to nearly every rule!
(https://youtu.be/VPKOzmDropA) https://youtu.be/VPKOzmDropA

As part of our "Discovering Primates: A Video Journey" series for y...

05/27/2026

A specialized tongue with a feathery tip makes red-bellied lemurs particularly adept at feeding on nectar from flowers compared to other lemur species. Instead of eating the whole flower, they can use their tongues like an absorbent brush to lap up nectar. This relationship benefits both the lemur and the plant without damaging the flower’s reproductive organs. The hungry lemurs pick up pollen on their faces, efficiently transferring them gently between flowers while slurping up the sweet nectar. Learn more: neprimateconservancy.org/red-bellied-lemur/