CreatureData

Central American squirrel monkey

Saimiri oerstedii (Reinhardt, 1872)

ENEndangeredprimates

The central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) is a species in the family Cebidae, order Primates. Recorded adults weigh 278.5 g to 647.1 g and live up to 17.2 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Endangered.

Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii)
Photo: Michelle Reback · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the central American squirrel monkey

Weight
278.5 g – 647.1 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
17.2 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Herbivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
161 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
1.01src for Young per litter or clutch
Active
By day (diurnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Arborealsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the central American squirrel monkey live?

Not recorded

What is the central American squirrel monkey?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), also known as the red-backed squirrel monkey, is a squirrel monkey species from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama. It is restricted to the northwestern tip of Panama near the border with Costa Rica, and the central and southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, primarily in Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Parks.

It is a small monkey with an orange back and a distinctive white and black facial mask. It has an omnivorous diet, eating fruits, other plant materials, invertebrates and some small vertebrates. In turn, it has a number of predators, including raptors, cats and snakes. It lives in large groups that typically contain between 20 and 75 monkeys. It has one of the most egalitarian social structures of all monkeys. Females do not form dominance hierarchies, and males do so only at breeding season. Females become sexually mature at 2+1⁄2 years, and males at 4 to 5 years. Sexually mature females leave the natal group, but males can remain with their natal group their entire life. The Central American squirrel monkey can live for more than 15 years.

The Central American squirrel monkey population declined precipitously after the 1970s. This decline is believed to be caused by deforestation, hunting, and capture to be kept as pets. Efforts are underway to preserve the species.

From the Wikipedia article “Central American squirrel monkey” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_American_squirrel_monkey&oldid=1383153566), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the central American squirrel monkey endangered?

The central American squirrel monkey is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List: it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Endangered species.

How is the central American squirrel monkey classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderPrimates
  5. familyCebidae
  6. genusSaimiri
  7. SpeciesSaimiri oerstedii (Reinhardt, 1872)

Synonyms Chrysothrix oerstedii

Other names and names in other languages (36)
  • Black-crowned central American squirrel monkeyEnglish
  • Black-crowned central American squirrel monkeyEnglish
  • Grey-crowned central American squirrel monkeyEnglish
  • Grey-crowned squirrel monkeyEnglish
  • Red-backed squirrel monkeyEnglish
  • Red-backed squirrel monkeyEnglish
  • Red-backed squirrel monkeyEnglish
  • سعدان أمريكا الوسطى السنجابيArabic
  • kotul rudohřbetýCzech
  • Centralamerikansk DødningehovedabeDanish
  • Rotrücken-TotenkopfaffeGerman
  • Mittelamerika-TotenkopfaffeGerman
  • Mittelamerikanischer TotenkopfaffeGerman
  • Σκιουροπίθηκος της Κεντρικής ΑμερικήςGreek
  • TitiSpanish
  • Barizo DorsirrojoSpanish
  • Mono ArdillaSpanish
  • Mono Ardilla de América CentralSpanish
  • Mono TitiSpanish
  • Mono TitíSpanish
  • panamansaimiriFinnish
  • Saimiri à dos rouxFrench
  • Saïmiri à dos rougeFrench
  • Saïmiri À Dos RouxFrench
  • Sapajou à dos rougeFrench
  • Singe-écureuil À Dos RougeFrench
  • Singe-écureuil À Dos RouxFrench
  • Saimiri del Centro AmericaItalian
  • セアカリスザルJapanese
  • RødryggekornapeNorwegian Bokmål
  • Geel DoodshoofdaapjeDutch
  • sajmiri rdzawogrzbietaPolish
  • Macaco-esquilo-Centro-AmericanoPortuguese
  • Macaco-de-cheiro-da-América-CentralPortuguese
  • Kızıl sırtlı sincap maymunuTurkish
  • 紅背松鼠猴Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the central American squirrel monkey

Other species in the same genus Saimiri.

CompareCentral American squirrel monkey vs Guianan squirrel monkeyCentral American squirrel monkey vs Black-capped squirrel monkeyCentral American squirrel monkey vs Bare-eared squirrel monkeyCentral American squirrel monkey vs Black squirrel monkey

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the central American squirrel monkey?

An adult central American squirrel monkey weighs 278.5 g – 647.1 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the central American squirrel monkey endangered?

The central American squirrel monkey is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

How long does the central American squirrel monkey live?

The central American squirrel monkey has a recorded lifespan of 17.2 years.

How long is the central American squirrel monkey pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 161 days.

What kind of animal is the central American squirrel monkey?

The central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) belongs to the family Cebidae in the order Primates.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-american-squirrel-monkey

MLA

“Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-american-squirrel-monkey.

BibTeX
@misc{central_american_squirrel_monkey_2026,
  title = {Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-american-squirrel-monkey},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}