Cebus

Cebus (Gr., 'an ape' or 'monkey'), a genus of South American monkeys, characterised by a round head and short muzzle, a facial angle of about 60°, long thumbs, and a long prehensile tail entirely covered with hair. The body is covered with short, thick hair. Their voice is soft and pitiful. The species are numerous, all of very lively disposition and gregarious arboreal habits, living in trees. They feed chiefly on fruits, but also on insects, worms, and molluscs. Various species are often seen in zoological gardens and menageries. They are included under the popular designation Sapajou in its wider sense, and some of them are the monkeys to which this name is sometimes more strictly appropriated. The names Sajou and Sai or Cai are also given to some of them, and some are called Capuchin (q.v.) Monkeys. One of the most common species in Guiana is the Weeper Monkey, or Weeper Sapajou (C. apella). Some of the species are adorned with beards. The term Cebidae is often used as a family designation for all the broad-nosed New-World Monkeys (Platyrrhini) with prehensile tails, in contrast to the Pithecidae, in which the tail is not so adapted. In this family are included the Howling Monkeys (Mycetes), the Spider Monkeys (Ateles), and other genera. See MONKEYS.