Capuchins

Capuchins

Family: Cebidae

Genus: Cebus

Species: ​Cebus albifrons, Cebus capucinus, Cebus kaapori, Cebus olivaceus

Geographic Range

West Amazon, Central Amazon, Northern Andes, Central America, Northwestern

Andes

Diet

Omnivorous and extremely varied

Fruits, Nuts, Seeds and Buds, Insects and Spiders, Bird Eggs, Small Vertebrae (Frogs),

Crabs and Shells

Mating

Female takes initiative!

When in estrus, a female capuchin will target the alpha-male and begin courtship

(posturing, vocalizing). At first, he only copulates with her once a day, and on the last

day she begins to look to the subordinate males in the group. At this point, the

alpha-male will follow her aggressively. The female targets the dominant male because

he has control to food sources when it is scarce.

Social Organization

Territorial!

Capuchins live in groups which are dominated by an alpha-male and consist of related

females and the other subordinate males, as described in the mating section. They are

extremely territorial, and will mark their territory with their urine. They maintain strong

communication in groups, exhibited through vocalization and grooming.

Habitat

Capuchin monkeys have an extremely varied home range and habitat among the

different species, which can include tropical rainforests, dry forests, and mangroves.

They are also known to withstand extreme habitat destruction. Much of their habitat is

determined by the availability of food, such as the abundance or scarcity of fruit. They

spend most of their days in trees to avoid predators.

Conservation Status

As of now, the capuchin monkeys are not an endangered species; however, excessive

land clearing is becoming a problem. They are also victim to human exploitation due to

their intelligence and ability to be trained. They are often used as pets and actors on

movie sets.