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White-Faced Capuchin - Cebus capucinus

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Haplorrhini

      Infraorder: Simiiformes

        Parvorder: Platyrrhini

          Superfamily:  Ateloidea

            Family:  Cebidae

              Subfamily:  Cebinae

                Genus:  Cebus

                  Species:  capucinus

 

COMMON NAME:

  • White-throated capuchin

  • White-fronted capuchin

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: 

  • Honduras

  • Nicaragua

  • Costa Rica

  • Panama

  • Coast of Columbia

  • Coast of Ecuador

 

HABITAT:

  • primary and secondary evergreen rainforest

  • mangroves

  • deciduous dry forest

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

  • solid black dorsum and hindquarters

  • upper chest, fore-arms, and the fur around the face are white

  • tan-colored facial skin

  • black cap on their heads

  • prehensile tails

 

DIET:  Frugivore-Insectivores

  • fruit

  • leaves

  • berries

  • nuts

  • seeds

  • shoots

  • buds and flower

  • gums

  • bark

  • animal matter, including insects, spiders, small vertebrates (birds, infant squirrels, agoutis, baby coatimundis, and lizards), eggs,crabs, and oysters

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:  Arboreal Quadrupeds

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION:  

Multi-Male/Multi-Female 

  • groups of 18 - 20

  • females stay in natal group

PARENTAL CARE:  Mother is primary caregiver

 

COMMUNICATION:

Tactile:

  • hand-sniffing

  • suck on each others fingers and tails for long periods of time

  • mouth games

Acoustic:

  • when predators approach, they use trill vocalizations to coordinate movement in the group

  • mimicry - mimicking the alarm cry of another species

Scent Marking

Facial expressions and body movement

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

  • although they are primarily quadrupedal, they are excellent leapers and climbers

  • sexual dimorphism: male is larger than female

  • known to beat snakes with sticks in order to protect itself

  • often able to recognize and avoid baited cage traps

  • have been trained for roles on television and movies

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Least Concern

 

To learn more about Cebus capucinus, visit the following websites:

  1. Animal Diversity Web - White-throated capuchin (Cebus capucinus)

  2. Monkeys of Panama Index

  3. IUCN Red List - Cebus capucinus

 

Information and photographs compiled by N. Arroyo and R. Trujillo.

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