• Appearance: It has a bright red, hairless face and a short tail. The vivid red color comes from blood vessels showing through skin with very little pigment.
• The Nickname: Locals in Brazil sometimes call it the macaco inglês (“English monkey”) because the pinkish-red face resembles a sunburned tourist.
• Health Signal: The bright red color is natural. A deeper red face often shows that the monkey is healthy and strong.
This monkey looks like it got sunburned — and that’s why locals call it the “English monkey.”🐒
The white uakari lives in the flooded forests of the western Amazon, and its bright red face is impossible to miss.
According to local legend, early English explorers had pale faces that turned bright red under the Amazon sun. The monkey’s bald head and red face reminded locals of them, so the nickname “English monkey” stuck.
But the uakari’s red face isn’t from the sun. Its skin has very little pigment and fat, making the blood vessels underneath visible.
And that bright red color can actually signal good health.
So somewhere deep in the Amazon, there’s a monkey that accidentally became a very funny reminder of Britain’s relationship with the sun.