Costa Rica's Capuchins

Costa Rica is home to a wide array of animals,
plants, and insects. One of the most incredible
species in the forest is the white-headed
capuchin. It's small, intelligent, and truly an
incredible animal.

Your image of the organ-grinder's fuzzy friend
is likely the image of the white-headed capuchin
monkey. It is a medium-sized primate, weighing up
to nine pounds in adulthood and living an
impressively long 54 years maximum; the fur is
mostly black, except for white on the front
chest, shoulders, and head. White-headed
capuchins have pink faces, with small eyes and
an excellent sense of smell. Like many new world
monkeys, the capuchins have a prehensile tail,
which they use as an extra support structure
when hanging from branches and seeking food.

White-headed capuchins are mostly arboreal,
living in the trees of Costa Rican forests;
however, they will descend to the ground much
more often than any other New World monkey. The
capuchins live in troops of roughly 16
individuals; females live together almost
exclusively, and males migrate from group to
group multiple times or migrate alone.
White-headed capuchins are unique in this
respect; social groups contain a high level of
relatedness between individuals, so alpha males
tend to be in charge much longer and sire more
offspring. Non-alpha male monkeys frequently
have to leave their group to find companionship
elsewhere, because some alpha males will breed
with every non-related female in their troop.

The females also exist in a complex hierarchy,
recognizing kinship along maternal lines.
Capuchins have very advanced relationships with
one another and show a good understanding of
alliances. If two monkeys are fighting, one
combatant will recruit help from someone who is
better friends with them than with their
opponent. Troops have their own ranges, many of
which overlap with neighboring troops.

Like many primates (including us humans),
white-headed capuchins are omnivorous; they
consume a variety of plant and animal matter. Up
to 70% of a white-headed capuchin's diet consists
of fruit; they forage for it on trees and the
ground. Legume fruits, figs, and mangoes are
among their favorite foods. Capuchins will also
strip the bark from trees, and have been
observed using rocks as anvils in order to break
open tough fruits and nuts. The other portion of
the capuchin's diet comes from insects,
especially beetle larvae, caterpillars, wasps,
an ants. They'll occasionally eat bird eggs,
lizards, mollusks, and crabs. One Guanacaste
population is known to hunt squirrels and
magpies.

The white-headed capuchin is considered one of
the most intelligent species in the New World,
even though there are other types of monkeys
that use tools also. They have been extensively
studied because of their tool use; they use
rocks as tools to open foods, and will whack
snakes with sticks to deter an oncoming attack.
Some paraplegics are reliant on these primates
as there are white-headed capuchins that are
used as helper monkeys.


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