Description:
The Beaked Monkey psittarhynchus fructophagii or Beakers (as they are sometimes called) are common on many worlds, both in the wild and in captivity. In addition, they are found on many starships as pets. Their planet of origin is not known, but the animals can be documented as far back as far as a millennium ago, with a range almost as widespread as at the present.

Physiology & Ecology:
Beaked monkeys typically weigh from 2 to 3 kilograms, and measure 60 to 75 cm in length, half of which is generally taken up by the tail. Tails are sometimes bobbed on animals kept aboard spacecraft. Beakers are covered by a short fur, most commonly brown or gray. Black is rare, and white extremely so. The skeleton and musculature follow typical Terran vertebrate norms. Respiration is accomplished by the usual paired lung arrangement, the circulatory system is closed and the heart four chambered, making the animal very similar to certain small Terran mammals such as the Squirrel Monkey. The head is round with two golden eyes, resembling the Terran Barn Owl. Where the rest of the body is furred, the head and back are feathered. Long feathers cover the back and shoulders like a cloak.

Life Cycle & Reproduction:
The creature has two genders and reproduces conjugally. Litters are small typically with only one to three offspring. Infants and children require a significant amount of time to mature to independence. Small Beakers are vulnerable to larger predators.

Diet & Trophics:
The animal's most notable feature, the beak, is formed of two bony projections from the palate and mandible, covered by keratin. The lower third of the esophagus is extremely heavily muscled and lined with a number of tooth-like grinding structures, which break swallowed food into fragments small enough to be digested readily.

In the wild, the beaker is arboreal, and is thought to have originally subsisted on a diet of hard-shelled nuts and seeds, although specimens have been observed eating insects and other small animals. In captivity, beakers thrive on almost any available type of human food.

History & Background:
Albino beakers are rumored to act as a booster for certain psionic activities, but this last ability has not been proven to the satisfaction of most authorities.

Derived Products:
The animals are quite popular as pets on starships because of their gregarious affection to almost all humans, their intelligence and their scrupulous cleanliness. Some zealous owners are known to stuff versions of their beloved pet after passing.

Some scientists feel that the beaker could be a candidate for uplift and possesses many characteristics that could help it develop into a successful proto-sophont.

Travellers' Aid Society Advisory:
The Travellers' Aid Society (TAS) classifies the the beaker as non-threatening to most sophonts and makes no special advisory regarding this creature. They are friendly and curious.

Worlds & Sectors:
The beaker can be found throughout charted space.

Notes:
Due to the beaker's popularity as a pet, it can be found throughout Charted Space. On many worlds, the animals have escaped into the wild and established offworld populations. e.g. Aleph III where it is said to have escaped from Genetics Research Station 17.