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Top 10 Animals After Dark: The Night Monkey
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#1 -- When Night Monkeys Forage

By Jessika Toothman

Night monkeys, also known as owl monkeys, are distinct among New World monkeys as they're the only ones that are nocturnal in nature. As the sole monkeys awake throughout the evening, they have the run of the jungle and set off each night shortly after sunset.

They forage in social groups, and although they're primarily frugivores (fruit eaters), they also snack on insects like moths, beetles, and spiders, as well as leaves, nectar and flowers. After feeding for a few hours, troops of night monkeys usually pause for a rest before resuming their trek.

The path they follow is at least partially determined by the availability of moonlight — on bright nights they travel more extensively and on dark nights they're more likely to take shorter routes or those they've had success with before. They become most active as dawn approaches, then settle down to sleep just as the sun is rising.

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