Capuchin Monkey

 

Swinging from tree tops, eat fresh fruit picked just moments from the fruit trees, being a Capuchin Monkey must be nice. These warm blooded mammals are always a delight to watch. Their human like faces, full of emotion and deep brown eyes provide an instant connection when you are watching these cute little monkeys going about their daily routine.

 

During the day they take a nap and typically spend the rest of the day up in the trees searching and eating fruits, nuts, seeds, and buds, but also insects, spiders, birds' eggs, and small vertebrates. Capuchins living near water will also eat crabs and shellfish by cracking their shells with stones. Mutual grooming is not only a form of communication with these monkeys, but also provide a source of food eating insects off one another.

 

Capuchin Monkeys live in a family group setting with 10 to 40 members and are territorial in nature. They will mark and protect their home area from other groups invading. Family groups consist of related females, their offspring, and several males. Female monkeys have young every two years and are the main caregiver during the younger years. The young start clinging to their mother’s chest and when they grow larger they start clinging to her back until old enough to be on their own.

There is a hierarchy in the family group with an alpha male in charge, who has the primary right to mate with the females in the group. White-headed Capuchin Monkey groups are led by both an alpha male and an alpha female. The alpha male will be challenged by other males in the group on occasion to challenge his leadership position. Capuchin Monkeys come in a variety of colours including black, brown and beige. They are an average 11-22inches and have a useful long tail that they use for hanging on to the trees.

 

Listen to their calls, watch them play and be entertained by these very expressive animals. Capuchin Monkeys  and Spider Monkeys are easily seen at lodges when travelling. They can be found in Central America (Costa Rica), South America such as Ecuador, Columbia, Belize and northern Argentina.

 

Join us on the Costa Rica photography tour and photograph these fun animals!