Ranger Rick articles from October 1997

Ranger Rick archives from October 1997

What kinds are there? (facts about the different species of primates, including orangutans, gibbons, squirrel monkeys, and the aye-aye)
October 1, 1997... You may know that monkeys and apes are primates (PRY-mates). But guess what--so are you! Altogether there are about 235 species (kinds) of primates. A GREAT APE Most great apes, such as the orangutan shown above, are bigger than other...

How do they get along? (social behavior of primates, with a look at langurs, mandrills, lemurs, and siamangs)
October 1, 1997... GANGING UP Like the langurs (lung-GURS) at right, most primates live in groups. One reason is that it's safer to have many sets of eyes watching out for enemies. Group members also help raise the young, who have l-o-n-g childhoods. (It takes...

Where do they live? (various habitats of primates and the adaptations for these environments, such as prehensile tails for trees and thick coats for cold conditions)
October 1, 1997... BUILT FOR TREES Most kinds of primates live in trees. They have many body parts that help them live up there. And even primates that live on the ground--such as gorillas--have these special parts. Take your thumbs, for example. Almost all...

What do they eat? (the diet of primates, which includes meat, insects, fruit, and plants)
October 1, 1997... SNATCH AND CATCH Most kinds of primates (like the baboon at right) eat leaves, fruit, or grass. Many also nab insects. A few kinds of primates, such as baboons, chimps, and some humans, also hunt and eat meat. The baboon at left, for...

Cool tool tricks. (how chimpanzees use plant stems as a tool for catching termites)
October 1, 1997... This chimp has a cool way of catching termites. It uses a stem or other plant part as a tool! First it sticks the tool into a log. Then, after the termites grab hold, the chimp pulls out the tool and slurps up its meal. Chimps also use simple...

Adventures of Ranger Rick: Rick and the gang ride the great red ape express. (short story)(includes a related article about orangutans)
October 1, 1997... Scarlett Fox stopped dead in her tracks. "Leeches?" she growled. "Did you say leeches? Slimy, no good, blood-sucking LEECHES? Forget it, Rick, just forget it!" Scarlett, Ranger Rick Raccoon, and Cubby Bear were far, far from home. They were...

Monkey business. (a look at the daily life and adventures of a group of proboscis monkeys)
October 1, 1997... Ledan (LAY-dun) may look calm (photo at left), but his senses are in high gear. He is the only adult male in a group of 22 proboscis (pro-BAH-sis) monkeys. And his group depends on him to look and listen for danger. Only last night he heard...

The day baboon outwitted the leopard. (short story)
October 1, 1997... Long, long ago, Baboon and Leopard were friends. One day, Leopard chased Hare, until Hare hid in a huge anthill. Leopard called her friend Baboon and asked him to stand guard over the anthill while she went down to the river for a drink....

Nyah, nyah, fooled ya! (stories showing how primates are able to use tricks and other forms of deception to fool one another or humans)
October 1, 1997... LYIN' LEOPARD SPOTS! Vervet monkeys are the size of house cats and live in East Africa. Gangs of these small primates fight all the time. Usually the tough gangs win. But once in a while, a wimpy gang tricks the bullies. The wimps' secret...

Back to the wild. (how scientists are trying to protect the endangered golden lion tamarins of Brazil from extinction)
October 1, 1997... Look at that face, framed by a silky mane! (photo at left) It's easy to see how golden lion tamarins (TAM-uh-rinz) got their name. But why do they need so much help? WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? These squirrel-sized monkeys don't have a clue that...

Primates in our world. (how primates are portrayed in art, religion, folklore, and other areas of human society)
October 1, 1997... Is the boy imitating the chimp, or is the chimp imitating the boy? For thousands of years, people have been fascinated by how much we and our ape cousins are alike. Primates--our closest animal relatives--have always stirred deep feelings in...