how to diaper a monkey

Amongst primate owners, the most commonly known method of diapering is the tail hole method but more and more primate owners are switching over to the tail wrap method. Since I’ve used both methods myself and don’t really have a particular preference, I reached out to other primate owners to find out why they prefer one method over the other. Before we go into more details, I’ve recorded a short video to demonstrate the difference between both methods. After that we’ll talk about diaper covers, different diaper brands, and what monkey parents are doing to prevent diaper rash.

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Arabic Gum for Gum Feeders

Marmosets and Bushbabies are known to be gum feeders. With their sharp teeth they gnaw holes in trees to get the gum. In the wild they spend 1/3 of their time doing this.  Besides the fact that “it will keep them busy for a while”, it’s also a source of energy, calcium and other minerals. It is known that also other species like squirrels or tamarins like arabic gum.

You can buy arabic gum at sites that sell backery products.

Mix one part of powder with two parts of water. After two to three hours it’s ready for distribution. Drill some holes into wood (like branches or bamboo) and fill them with this prepared gum.

5 Recipes with Arabic Gum from a big breeder :

  • 30% gum + 70% water
  • 10% banana + 20% gum + 70% water
  • 30% gum + 70% fruit juice
  • take baby food “canned” (poultry – apple) + dry gumi ( =pasta)
  • cut fruit in cubes and put dry gum (like sugar) on it

By Ivan Crab

During recent years, the feeding of PRIMATES has undergone significant changes, as more has been discovered about their nutritional needs.   The pets market of today provide different “monkey pellets” , pelleted diets they are usually well balanced but they can not by given at the expense of a varied diet.

It is no coincidence that when breeding began in earnest during the 1950s, it was the OLD WORLD species which reproduced most successfully in collections. This is because MONKEYS such as the MACACA species were best-suited to thrive and breed on a diet composed of little more than vegetables and fruits.

The needs of other species are more complex. Certainly in captivity they thrive when offered a diet which contains a relatively high proportion of vegetables and fruit. (more…)