When one thinks of a zoo, a general idea that comes to mind is a picture of animals in .
Going to a zoo to complete a research project sounds even less exciting. However, the trip I .
took to the Santa Ana zoo was exciting and quite an adventure. The scenery is so full of variety from .
lush tropical surroundings to rough, jungle atmospheres. Animals from all over the world stare down .
at passing visitors and mock humans with their curious eyes and indescribable vocal sounds. .
While I was at the zoo, there was one animal that really caught my eye. In fact, it pooped right .
in front of my eyes the instant I saw it. I was disgusted at first but it caught my attention and I sat .
down to observe it for a while. The little monkey picked up a banana and ate some of the left over .
scraps and threw it in dismay at the floor. It came closer to my face and I climbed up on the railing to .
get a close look into it's eyes. I motioned to my mouth and the banana and the monkey dissapeared .
into the cage looking for banana slips and I was extremely excited thinking that the genious monkey .
was getting me food. However, it ate the banana and just returned to look at me. .
Observing the monkey's behavior gave me a chance to absorb information about the .
background of the animal. The black handed spider monkey has a scientific name of Ateles .
geoffroyi.It is considered an Old World Monkey.They generally live in evergreen rain forests, .
semideciduous forests and mangrove forests. (Rowe, 96). Spider monkeys are primarily .
arboreal (adapted to live in trees) and never come to the ground. Spider monkeys are primarily an .
animal of the upper levels of the forest. However, in areas where such habitat is limited in extent .
and where hunting pressure is light or non-existent, and other primate competitors are few in .
number, it appears to be able to survive in several other forest types as well. .
All Ateles species are primarily frugivorous and feed largely on the mature, soft parts of a .
