All monkeys in South and Central America are active only in daylight hours except for one kind -the owl monkey. People who have seen them tell us they are cute little fellows with velvety gray and white faces, white eyebrows and tiny beards, along with bright yellow chests and underparts.
Although these monkeys are gentle when young, when older they come up with many annoying tricks to play on those who may be caring for them. One writer said, “At a year old they are gentle and affectionate, at two years they are playful but can be annoyingly angry, but at maturity they are simply troublesome and full of mean tricks.”
When other monkeys are getting ready for a night’s sleep at sunset, owl monkeys are just getting started, usually traveling in pairs. They’ve had their sleep during the day. How can they see in the dark? The Creator has provided them with special, large, orange eyes with black pupils, enabling them to find fruits and insects just as easily as other monkeys do in the daytime.
Our second monkey is known as the wanderoo, or sometimes it is called the black monkey. This monkey lives in India. It is very sober looking and acts rather dignified. It has a big head completely surrounded by a wreath of grayish-white thick fur reaching to its cheek, which, like the rest of its body, is coal black.
An adult is about three feet long from nose to the tip of the tail and weighs as much as 80 pounds. Its whole appearance has a dignified and grandfatherly look.
Its manner of eating is unusual. It stuffs its mouth with all it can hold, puffing out its cheeks, before swallowing any of it. This seems to be just another way of showing its dominance over everything around it. The other monkeys don’t seem to argue with it either. Actually, they show it a lot of respect, as some people also do.
These are just two of the amazing varieties of animals and other wild creatures of whom the Bible tells us, “For Thy [God’s] pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:1111Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)). As we look at the wonders of God’s creation, we can’t help but be impressed. Have you ever agreed with what the psalmist said, “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate [study] also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings” (Psalm 77:11-1211I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. (Psalm 77:11‑12))?
ML-12/18/2005