What kind of monkey can fly?

The spider monkey that lives in the South American rain forest is known to "fly," but it actually glides. It possesses physiological attributes that help it glide between trees, such as exceptionally long arms and agile tail, which provides a strong grip for branches.

The spider monkey is also found in Mexico and Central America. Prior to 2014, five species of the flying spider monkey were known to inhabit the Amazon. In 2014, five new species of the eight pound mammal were discovered, and several formerly-designated subspecies were determined to be separate species. Taxonomists put the current number of spider monkey species at 16, as of August 2014.