Bald Uakari - Peru


Quechua, an indigenous language of the Andean region, is spoken by 9 million people. It was the official language of Tawantinsuyu, the Inca Empire. There are numerous extant Amerindian languages and Quechua, with its many dialects, has the largest number of native speakers; the Guarani language ranks second.

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Cacajao calvus - The bald uakari and two other species of the Cebidae family are three of the few short-tailed monkeys in the Americans. These species lack facial hair and when excited, the face, already red from lack of skin pigment, becomes flushed in bright scarlet. A typical uakari group consists of 10 to 30 members passing the day feeding on nuts and fruits found in the higher canopies of the forest. The uakari is confined to a small area in South America. Habitat loss and human encroachment has placed the uakari on the endangered list.