Faces in the Forest: The Endangered Muriqui Monkeys of Brazil

by Karen B. Strier

Book Overview

The woolly spider monkey, or muriqui, is one of the most threatened primate species in the world. Because of deforestation in their natural habitat--the Atlantic coastal forests of southeastern Brazil--the muriquis are confined to less than 3 percent of their original range. As of 1987, there were only a dozen forest fragments known to support a total muriqui population of about 500. As of 1998, at least 20 forests are known to support at least...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674290089
• ISBN13: 9780674290082
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 170 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The best book on the Muriqui

Great read on the largest primate (after humans) in the American continent. Dr. Strier is the leading researcher on the Muriqui and does a lot of field work herself, so the book reflects her first hand knowledge. A write up of a visit to the reserve of Muriquis mentioned in the book can be found on my blog.

On New World apes

The book tells the story of Karen Strier's 20 year long research among the muriquis, the largest primate of the Americas, on a rain forest conservation unit in Caratinga, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Karen's findings have enabled her to write a very influential article criticizing the "myth of the typical primate". It is a solid work of primatology and yet very much readable. It contains scholarly work without pedantry. It documents an exemplary scientific carreer dedicated to research and the environment.