Primates and Their Habitats

Primates and their Habitats Activities

Activities for Introducing the Diversity of Nonhuman Primates
and the Diversity of the Habitats in Which They Live

Most nonhuman primates live in the world's rainforests. But did you know that some live in cities? Did you know that some live in semi-deserts? Did you know that some live in cold snowy mountains and more surprising habitats? Play and learn where your favorite monkeys and apes live.

Learn while playing cards

36 game cards are divided into 27 primate cards and 9 habitat cards

These cards are printed on white card stock

Featured Habitats:
The habitats are identified as "suits" on a deck of cards with the following icons:

The rainforest is represented 3 times in the deck because most nonhuman primates live in the worlds' tropical rainforests.

DOWNLOAD THE GAME CARDS:
Click below to download the printable game cards.
We recommend printing the cards on card stock.
Adobe Reader is required.

NEPC Primate Habitat Playing Cards
File Size:	4164 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

THE GAMES:
1. Matching Game
2. Solitaire
3. Go Fish - With a Twist
4. Who's in the Cards?

PREPARATION:

Download and print the game cards, preferably on cards stock for repeat use. Lamination will make them last even longer.
Cut out the cards to create a deck of 36 cards

MATERIALS:

Primate Habitat playing cards
Scroll down to Who's in the Cards? to learn about the primate species and habitats featured in the cards

HOW TO PLAY:
See instructions below for three separate games.

Learning Goals:

Players are introduced to the diversity of primate species
These activities introduce but a few of the 703 representative species and subspecies of nonhuman primates
Players will understand that primate species’ appearances can vary greatly
Player will understand that different primate species live in different and diverse habitats
Players will understand that nonhuman primates live naturally in specific geographic regions and habitats of the world
Players can learn that animals are adapted to nourish their habitats and those same habitats nourish the animals that live in them

Objectives:

Players will correctly match each primate species to their natural native habitat

Players will learn the difference between apes, monkeys, and, prosimians

Players will learn where in the world primate species naturally live

Players will learn some world geography

Players will learn that, although most primate species live in the canopy of the world’s rainforests, many live in other surprising habitats as well

Players will learn that a primate's appearance can be an indicator of its native habitat (see difference between New World and Old World monkeys)

Players will learn how a primate species' habitat can determine its physical characteristics, diet, and behaviors

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

Primate Facts
- Includes the Biological Order of Primates
- Where Do Primates Live?
- What's the Difference Between New World and Old World Monkeys?
Where Primate Live Video and Activity
Life in the World's Tropical Rainforests
Conservation Statuses. What Do They Mean?
People and Other Primates
Priates At-a-Glance
Primate Species Profiles
What You Can Do to Help Animals and the Environment

Game 1
Concentration

A memory and matching game

OBJECT OF THE GAME:
Turn over pairs of matching cards by matching the habitat icons ("suits") depicted in the corners of the cards.
Can be played with one, two, or more players.

GOALS:
Players become familiar with primate species.
Players become familiar with primate habitats.
Players learn which primates live in which habitats.
Players learn, from the cards, the country of the primate species and its habitat.

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Shuffle the deck.

2. Lay all cards face down in 4 rows of 9 cards per row, or 6 rows of 6 cards per row.

3. In turn, each player chooses 2 cards and turns them face up. If they are of the same habitat, that player wins a pair and plays again. Matching cards are removed from the game and held by the player until the end of the game.

4. If they are not of the same habitat, the cards are turned face down again and the player to left has a turn.

5. The game ends when the last pair has been picked up.

6. The winner is the person with the most pairs. There may be a tie for first place.

7. For added interest, print and add more game cards to the game.

2	2- same habitat "suit"

3 - examples of matched suits and unmatched suits

Click or tap to enlarge thumbnails

A Memory and Matching Game
For Younger Players

OBJECT OF THE GAME:
Turn over pairs of matching cards by matching the primate or habitat photos in the cards
Can be played with one, two, or more players.

Print 2 sets of Primate Habitats Cards
Selecting matching cards from each of the decks
Lay out 16-24 matching cards face down, depending upon the ages and number of players
In turn, each player chooses 2 cards and turns them face up. If they are the same photo, that player wins a pair and plays again. Matching cards are removed from the game and held by the player until the end of the game
If they are not the same cards, the cards are turned face down again and the player to left has a turn
The game ends when the last pair has been picked up
The winner is the person with the most pairs. There may be a tie for first place

Photos coming soon

Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2018, You may freely use, copy and share these Learning Activities for educational purposes.
For questions or comments, e-mail us at info@neprimateconservancy.org.

Game 2
One-handed solitaire

A fun solitaire game

Can be played in the hand and does not require table or other surface

GOALS:
A fun picture card game to play alone.
Familiarizes players with primate habitats.
Familiarizes players with primate species.

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Shuffle the deck.

2. Hold the shuffled deck face down in your hand.

3. Draw from the back of the deck 4 cards and place them on top, fanned out, so that the picture and habitat icons ("suits") can be seen.

4. If the 1st and 4th card are the same picture type, that is both are habitat pictures or both are primate pictures, discard the 2 middle cards, placing them on your lap or other surface.

5. If there are previously drawn cards in your hand, arrange them so that 4 cards are visible.

6. If there are not enough cards to do this, draw from the back so that 4 cards are visible.

7. If the 1st and 4th card are the same habitat icon ("suit), discard all 4 cards.

8. Again, if there are previously drawn cards in your hand, rearrange the hand so that 4 cards are visible.

8. If there are not enough cards to do this, draw from the back so that 4 cards are visible.

9. Continue in this fashion until the end of the deck is reached. If all cards are discarded, you win the game.

10. An optional rule to increase the odds of winning - previously drawn cards can be redrawn after the deck has been cycled through, preserving the original sequence of the cards.

1st and 4th Primate cards

6. Draw until 4 cards are visible

3. Draw 4 cards

1st and 4th Habitat cards

7. Habitat suit cards

4. Discard 2 middle cards

game 3
Go Fish... with a twist

A "fishing" game for multiple players

A "fishing" game for 2, 3, 4, or 5 players of all ages.
The twist? Players teach each other about the world's primates and their habitats while playing.

THE PACK: The 36-card Primate Habitats deck is used. Some cards will be dealt and the rest will form the stock pile.

THE GOAL: Win the most "books" of cards. A book is any four of a kind, such as four rainforest habitat cards, four rock cliff habitats, four savanna habitat cards, and so on.

THE HABITATS:

THE DEAL: A dealer is designated. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals five cards clockwise one at a time, face down, beginning with the player to his left. The remainder of the pack is placed face down on the table to form the stock pile.

The Deal

THE PLAY:
1. Each player gets five cards. Hold your card up in front of you and do not let the other players see your cards.

Player 1

Player 2

Player 3

2. If you are dealt four of a kind (four of the same habitat suit cards = a book), remove them from your hand and lay them on the table in front of you. You get a point.
Show all four cards to the other players and announce, "These primates (specify the species) from these regions (name the geographic region) live in this habitat (specify the habitat type)" and show the pictures to the other players.
For example, "Common marmosets from Brazil, chacma baboons from South Africa, and rhesus macaques from central, south, and Southeast Asia live in urban habitats." Show the primate cards to the other players as you name them and show the habitat card.

Step 2

3. Moving clockwise, players take turns asking a specific player for a given habitat card. If someone asks you for a habitat card that you have, the cards of that habitat are taken from your hand and given to that player. If you do not have any cards of that habitat, tell you opponent to "go fish." He or she takes one new card from the stock pile of cards.

4. If the stock pile gives the player the fourth habitat card, the player has a "book", announces the primates, geographic regions, and habitats to the other players and places the habitat "book" in front of him or her. A point is earned.

5. When it’s your turn, select a player you think might have a card you need. If the player has the desired card he or she must pass it over to you. If that player has more than one card for the habitat that you seek, he or she must give them all to you. If not, you must "go fish". If you receive the card you asked for, you go again.

Step 6

6. When you receive the card you requested, show the card to the other players. Announce to the other players the name of the habitat, the primate, the geographic region he or she is from, and show the photos of the primate/s and/or habitat depicted in the cards.

Please note: since most non-human primates live in rainforests that are three sets of four rainforest groupings. A book of four rainforest cards must consist of three primates and one habitat picture.

Step 6

7. When you get the fourth card of a book, show all four cards to the other players and announce, "these primates (specify the species) from these regions (name the geographic regions) live in this habitat (specify the habitat type)" and show the pictures to the other players.
For example, "Sumatran orangutans from Sumatra, Indonesia, common squirrel monkeys from South American, and white-headed capuchin monkeys from Latin American all live in the rainforest", showing the primate cards as you name them and showing the photo of the rainforest habitat. Then place the card on the table face up in front of yourself, and take another turn.

8. If you run out of cards and there are still cards left, you get five free cards.

9. Play continues until all hands are empty and there are no more cards to draw from. The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game.

Step 7

Two "books" of cards - rainforest habitat and urban habitat = 2 points

Click or tap to enlarge thumbnails

Who's In the cards?

Following are the digital version of the playing cards. Habitats are described to the left of the habitat cards. Click on each primate species for a full profile of the species/ to learn about the species.

Mangrove Habitat

A mangrove is a tidal swamp ecosystem found in tropical deltas, estuaries, lagoons or islands.

Mangrove trees have developed unique adaptations to their harsh conditions.

Mountain Habitat

Mountains provide a diverse array of habitats in which a large range of plants and animals may be found. On some mountains, species that live there may be found nowhere else in the world.

Rainforest Habitat

A rainforest is a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 cm) and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy.

We included 3 sets of rainforest cards because most nonhuman primates live in the world's tropical rainforests.

Learn more about Life in Tropical Rainforests

Rock Cliffs Habitat

A cliff is a vertical, or nearly vertical, rock exposure formed by the processes of weathering and erosion. The lack of soil, highly acidic bedrock, and constant erosion, limit the vegetation to mosses, lichens, and herbs growing on bare rock or crevices, and to sparse trees and shrubs rooted in deeper soil pockets.

Savanna Habitat

A savanna is a plain characterized by coarse grasses and scattered tree growth, especially on the margins of the tropics or subtropics where the rainfall is seasonal.

Semi-Arid Habitat

A semi-arid habitat is characterized by relatively low annual rainfall and having scrubby vegetation with short, coarse grasses. It is not completely arid.

Urban Habitat

Urban habitats are areas dominated by human activities and human constructions. These include towns, cities and associated landscapes.