# Uakari (*Cacajao calvus*)

> The uakari is a short-tailed monkey of the western Amazon, best known for the bald uakari's striking bright-red bald face. The color signals health and is prized by potential mates. Uakaris live high in flooded forest, eat mostly seeds and fruit, and can live around 20 years.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Vulnerable
- **Range:** Seasonally flooded rainforests of the western Amazon basin in Brazil, Peru, and neighboring countries.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/uakari/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Primates
- **Family:** Pitheciidae
- **Genus:** Cacajao

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Cacajao calvus |
| Diet | Omnivore (mostly seeds and fruit) |
| Habitat | Flooded Amazon rainforest |
| Lifespan | Around 20 years |
| Weight | 2.7–3.5 kg (6–7.7 lb) |
| Top speed | Agile climber and leaper |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |

## That unmistakable red face

The bald uakari's hairless face can be vivid scarlet. The color comes from blood vessels close to the skin and reflects an individual's health; a pale face can signal illness such as malaria, so a bright red face is attractive to mates.

## Life in the treetops

Uakaris are highly social, living in troops that can number dozens of animals high in the canopy. Despite a short tail unusual for a New World monkey, they are powerful climbers and impressive leapers, crossing wide gaps between trees.

## Seed specialists

Uakaris have strong jaws that let them crack open hard, unripe fruits and seeds that other monkeys cannot eat, an advantage in the seasonally flooded forests where they live. They also take leaves, flowers, and the occasional insect.

## A vulnerable specialist

Because uakaris depend on specific flooded forest and large home ranges, they are sensitive to habitat loss and hunting. They are listed as Vulnerable, and protecting the várzea forests of the western Amazon is central to their future.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is the uakari's face red?

The bald uakari's bare face is red because of blood vessels near the skin surface. The brightness reflects the animal's health, so a strong red color is a sign of a fit mate.

### Where do uakaris live?

Uakaris live in the seasonally flooded rainforests of the western Amazon basin, in parts of Brazil, Peru, and neighboring countries.

### What do uakaris eat?

Uakaris eat mostly seeds and fruit, using powerful jaws to crack hard unripe fruits, along with leaves, flowers, and some insects.

### Are uakaris endangered?

Bald uakaris are listed as Vulnerable, mainly due to habitat loss and hunting across their specialized flooded-forest range.

### Why does the uakari have a short tail?

Unlike most New World monkeys, uakaris have short tails and do not use them for grasping. They rely on strong limbs to climb and leap through the canopy.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Cacajao calvus.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Cacajao%20calvus&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Cacajao calvus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cacajao_calvus/)
- [Wikipedia — Uakari.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald_uakari)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/uakari/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.