At Moody Gardens, we don’t monkey around. But, we have some residents of the rainforest who do. White-faced Saki monkeys will be roaming the tree tops of the rainforest along with many other fascinating creatures when the Rainforest Pyramid opens May 28th.

White-faced Sakis (Pithecia pithecia) are found in Brazil, French Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and Guyana. These small monkeys are usually about two to three pounds and can measure up to 29 inches long. They are arboreal (tree living), active during the day and rarely go to the ground. Some have even been found 2,300 feet up in the canopy! These monkeys are fast moving and shy, so very little is known about their behavior in the wild. What we do know is that they eat fruit, leaves, flowers, small birds and small mammals and they move mainly in leaps. Jumps of over 32 feet have actually been recorded by these tiny leapers!

Adult male Sakis are black with a white face and females are a brownish gray color with a narrow stripe on their face between the inner eye and mouth. These monkeys are dichromatic (males are different colors from females) which is a rare trait among Central and South American primates. They have long shaggy coats that protect them from rain and non-prehensile, bushy tails.

These monkeys live in small family groups consisting of the parents and usually two to three offspring. After a 146 day pregnancy, the infant Saki will be born and males and females will have the same brownish gray coloration of the mother. After two months, males will start to take on the coloration of the father. The infants are carried in the flexure of female’s thigh for the first few weeks, but will gradually be carried on the back of the mother.  Sakis communicate by bird-like chirping sounds and they display aggression by fluffing up their body hair and vigorously shaking their body while stomping their feet.

The status of these animals in the wild is vulnerable. Deforestation leading to loss of habitat, as well as these animals being hunted has led to them being threatened. So, come see Frankie, Clyde and Lionel when life emerges on May 28^th!

Please see the video below to learn more about these interesting inhabitants of the rainforest (or click here if no video below).

My, what big eyes you have! While you won’t find Little Red Riding Hood in the Rainforest Pyramid, you will find the Pygmy Slow Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus). This prosimian (before the monkeys- or primitive primate) is just one type of the many primates you will encounter when life emerges at the Rainforest Pyramid on May 28^th.

Pygmy Slow Lorises are found in the rainforests of Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam. They are extremely endangered in Vietnam, where decades of military activity have damaged their habitat. (as well as more recent habitat destruction)  These nocturnal, tree dwelling primates survive on a diet of insects, fruit, slugs and snails. During the day you might see one curled into a tight ball clinging to a branch high up in the rainforest canopy.

These small creatures (18-21 cm long) are characterized by their round head, large eyes, small ears, stumpy tail and their short and wooly fur. The Pygmy  Slow Loris also has front teeth that are arranged to provide a comb like structure called a “tooth comb” that is used to scrape resin from a tree and to clean its fur.  In addition to the tooth comb, they also have an under tongue that contains hardened points of horn. This second fleshy comb is used to clean the tooth comb.

Lorises are mainly solitary animals, only coming together to mate. The female will usually give birth to one or two babies every 12 to 18 months after a gestation period of 190 days. For the first seven months, the youngling will cling to its mother and it will nurse for six weeks. Young lorises may call to their mother using a series of clicks and squeaks when in d istress. For the most part, vocal exchanges are limited to remain inconspicuous and communication is mainly carried out by scent marking.

People say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The Pygmy Slow Loris must be out to flatter reptiles. When threatened, they will imitate an angry cobra by hissing, whistling and moving in the deliberate manner of a serpent. If the threat continues, they will deliver a toxic bite to its aggressor. The bite is toxic due to glands inside of the elbow that secrete a toxin. The loris will lift its arms up and lick up the toxin before delivering the painful bite.

Another interesting fact is that lorises have specially adapted blood vessels in their hands and feet that allow them to hold onto branches tightly for many hours at a time, even when sleeping.  They will walk slowly (thus the name) but surely on the branches, carefully putting one foot in front of the other. As sluggish as they appear, they are excellent climbers and very quick and accurate when hunting prey.

The name “loris” is believed to be derived from the Dutch word “loeris”, which means clown because their eyes and facial markings resemble a clown’s makeup.

Check out our video featuring the Pygmy Slow Loris!

Has the rainforest gone to the birds? You might think so after you meet some of our winged friends who will call the pyramid home when it re-opens May 28^th.

First, let’s forage the forest floor with the Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria). This relative of the now extinct Dodo makes its home in the Asian rainforests in Indonesia and Papau New Guinea. It is the largest living pigeon and can be just as tall as a turkey!  This bluish bird has a large crest of feathers on its head that can be raised, that’s where “crowned” comes from in its name. To find food, they forage the rainforest floor for fruit, seeds and snails. Victoria Crowned Pigeons are monogamous and mate for life. They lay one single white egg each year and it’s incubated by both mom and dad. This pigeon, along with flamingos produce crop milk to feed their young.

Now, let’s soar the canopy with Crested Oropendola (Psarcolius decumannaus). These birds are native to South America and are quite small compared to the Victoria Crowned Pigeon. They will usually about 13 to 17 inches long when fully grown. The Crested Oropendola will nest in large colonies of about 100 or more to stay protected from predators. Their main food sources include: grain, seeds, fruit and nectar. In order to protect their babies, these birds weave a spherical nest made of grass and palm that can be three to six feet long!

Next, we’ll listen to the call of the Blue Bellied Roller (Coracias cyanogaster). These small, agile flyers dwell in western and central Africa, from Senegal to the southern Sudan. These social birds live in small groups of three to seven and hunt their prey by dive bombing them from about 30 feet up in the trees. You can spot the Blue Bellied Roller by its distinctive blue, black, pinkish cream and teal coloration. They get their name from the rolling pattern of flight used during courtship.

Did you know that in spite of its name, the Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea) also called a “rock pigeon” does not need cliffs for nesting? This African pigeon is bluish-gray in coloration with cinnamon-brown on some parts of its neck, mantle and wing coverts. It gets its name from the white speckles on its wings. They breed all year long and often live in pairs, but they are also known to flock together with more than 100 others when not breeding.

Finally, we’ll take a look at the striking red patch on the chest of the Bleeding Heart Dove (Gallicolumbia luzonia). This shy bird is native to the forests of the Philippines and it spends most of its time searching the forest floor for seeds, berries, insects and other invertebrates. This dove builds its nest about three to five feet above the ground and both the male and female spend time incubating the eggs. Did you know pigeons and doves drink differently than most birds? They submerge their beak in water, suck up the water and swallow, without the need to raise their head between sips.

Check out our video featuring some of the birds you just read about!

The Brazilian Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina aguti), is one of the free roaming creatures that you will catch a glimpse of when Moody Gardens’ Rainforest Pyramid® exhibit reopens in May 2011!

This relative of the guinea pig is found in the rainforests of Brazil and it is the only mammal that is known to crack a Brazil nut with its teeth. Brazil nuts, fruits, vegetables and greens are the typical food staples for the Agouti.

The Agouti is a member of the rodent family, but unlike most rodents it walks on its toes and not flat footed. It can also jump up to six feet in the air from a standing position. Talk about air time!

In the Amazon rainforest the Agouti is the only species responsible for reseeding the forest with Brazil nuts, which ensures the growth of a whole new generation of trees. They do this by hiding seeds in various locations around their territory.

In the wild, Agoutis are very shy and nervous animals that often live in burrows or hollowed out tree trunks to avoid predators. They survive through their keen sense of hearing and it’s said they can even hear fruit hitting the rainforest floor!

The Agouti is fairly social within their species. They often live and travel in small family groups and even pairs during mating season.

Check out our video featuring our new Agouti here!