CAPUCHIN MONKEYS
All images by
Christina Bush
Scientific Name: Cebus Capucinus
There are 17 species of the Capuchin Monkey
Body Weight: 5-15 pounds - Height: 12 - 24 inches
The capuchin monkey gets its name from a group of friars from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. These members wore brown robes with large hoods covering their heads. When explorers in the 15th century found some of these small monkeys, they named them capuchin monkeys because of their look.
Natural Range: Central America (Honduras) and middle South America (Brazil, eastern Peru and Paraguay)
Lifespan: 20-25 years in the wild and up to 45 years in captivity.
The natural predators of the capuchin monkey are hawks, eagles, boa constrictors and jaguars. They are also killed for meat by local hunters.
Capuchins are omnivores, which means they eat all sorts of foods including plants and animals. A typical diet consists of fruits, bugs, leaves, frogs, birds, lizards and nuts.
During mosquito season, capuchins will crush millipedes and rub them on their backs. These millipedes amazingly act as a mosquito repellant.
Capuchin monkeys are known for being highly intelligent, resourceful, non-aggressive and most have very pleasant personalities. Many are used in programs with disabled people and make great live-in companions for them.
Capuchin males have a bizarre mating ritual where they urinate on their hands and rub it all over their fur. This scent marking is said to attract the females.
In the wild, these monkeys live in groups of 10-30 members which are generally dominated by a single male who has the primary right to mate with the females of the group. Capuchins tend to be polygamous and promiscuous.
Capuchins have a prehensile tail that helps them when jumping from tree to tree, where they can span distances of up to 9 feet across the forest canopy.
