Curious George is generally called a "monkey" in his books, TV shows, and movies, but he notably lacks a tail, which is a primary feature distinguishing apes from monkeys. This has led to some debate about his exact classification. The monkey species without a visible tail that he most closely resembles is the Barbary Macaque, an Old World monkey species. However, some experts argue that George's characteristics (such as his limb proportions and knuckle- walking) actually align more with apes, possibly making him an ape like a chimpanzee or orangutan rather than a true monkey. Ultimately, Curious George is most commonly referred to as a monkey in the stories, but biologically he shows traits of both monkeys and apes, with a higher likelihood of being an ape species like a chimpanzee or orangutan due to his lack of a tail and locomotion style.
