Brookfield+Zoo+-+Tropic+World

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**//__ Tropic World__ (//** **//Tropic World ) houses the zoo's primates. Built in the 1980's, it is separated into three sections, each one representing an ecosystem of a single continent.//** ======

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// __**SOUTH AMERICA **__ ////**   As you walk in, you choose to walk through a cave or beneath a waterfall, and you emerge onto a walkway where you have a bird's eye view of the South American exhibit. Note how the different animals utilize different parts of the same habitat. Some stay on the floor of the exhibit, others the trees. By using the same area in different ways, more species can survive.**// ======

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//**Looking into the trees, you can see black handed spider monkeys as they brachiate (swing) from branch to branch. They use their tails as rudders as they jump. Click here to learn more about spider monkeys. **////****//Black handed spider monkey//****// ======

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//**Along the walkway, you'll see a branched area close to the railing. This is where the marmosets are housed. Because of their small size, they need to be kept close to visitors in order to be seen. Three types of marmosets are kept at the zoo: cotton top marmosets, golden lion tamarins, and callimicos. They alternate the time they spend on the exhibit with their time spent in off exhibit enclosures. Cotton top tamarins and golden lion tamarins eat mostly insects. They live in small family groups and share taking care of the babies. Even the fathers pitch in. Click here to learn more about cotton tops **////**Cotton top tamarin**////** and golden lion tamarins. **////**Golden lion tamarins**// ======

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//**Closely related are the callimicos. They are also marmosets but are a little behind in their evolution. One of the main differences between them and the other marmosets is that they have three molars instead of just two. Molars are used to grind tough vegetation. Cotton top marmosets and golden lion marmosets are better equipped to eat a diet made of insects. Callimicos still carry the extra molars from the days when vegetation made up a larger part of their diet. Click here to learn more about callimicos. **////**Callimico**// ======

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**// __ASIA__   As you walk into Asia, you'll notice that the setting is much quieter. The exhibit separates free swinging white cheeked gibbons from the quieter, more sedentary orangutans. The gibbons are well adapted to life in the trees. Their long arms and strong grip allow them to swing easily from branch to branch. They can leap up to 20 feet from a standstill to grab hold of a supporting branch. Living in heavy foliage, the gibbons rely on loud vocalizations to identify each other, and claim their territory. Males and females use different calls, 'singing' duets. Males and females look and sound different. Females are light colored, being either buff or light brown, but males are black. Babies are born light colored to blend in with their mother's fur, developing their adult coloring later. Click here to learn more about white cheeked gibbons. White Cheeked Gibbon Orangutans are quiet giants. At male orangutan can grow to be 4.5 feet tall, and weigh as much as 200 pounds. Females are slightly smaller at less than 4 feet and about 100 pounds. Because of their size, they cannot live in large groups. Their habitat would not be able to support more than a few animals. Although orangutans are so large, they live almost exclusively in the trees. They do not swing like gibbons, but are still able to maneuver effectively by using their wieght and strong arms to bend branches. Learn more about orangutans here. Orangutan On the floor of the exhibit you'll see small clawed otters swimming in the lagoon. Notice how playful they are. All that play, especially among young otters, helps to reinforce social connections and sharpen their hunting skills. Click here to learn more about asian small clawed otters. Asian Small Clawed Otter Learn more about primates at this interactive website -- Interactive Primate Tree Be sure to take this quiz before you go. Remember, you can take it more than once!//** //Gorilla Quiz// ======