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 Capuchin
monkeys are part of the New World monkey classification. Basically, this
classification specifies they live in the "new world" of the Americas instead of
the "old world" of Asia and Africa. Capuchins are so called because of the dark
patch of heir on their head that resembles a Capuchin monk's hood. They have
five fingers and 5 toes with hard nails and they also have thumbs, in this they
are very much like humans.
These monkeys tend to carry their
tail coiled up when walking, they can use their tail to hold food and hang off
tree limbs. As with the spider monkeys, their tail almost functions as a fifth
limb. These animals weigh about five pounds, are about 17 inches long with a
tail of up to 18 inches.
In the wild...
 The Capuchin diet consists mainly
of fruit, seeds, insects, bird eggs, flowers, grass and nuts and sometimes
small back-boned animals. They are very good at catching frogs and cracking nuts
using tools. Capuchins can adapt quickly if their main food is not available and
unfortunately can become pests when they travel to plantations and raid the
local orange, maize or chocolate bean harvests. These animals are very smart and
have been known to use tools such as twigs and sticks to get food. They are prey
to eagles, other large birds and jaguars. Capuchins are found in large groups of
10 to 30 individuals with a wide range. They follow their tracks back but have a
particular traveling order. In the front are the young adults, then come the
adults, followed by any pregnant and nursing females.
Biology
They give birth every one to two
years to one individual baby, they are fully grown at six months old, they are
often found riding on their mother's back.
Habitat and Distribution
The Capuchin lives in Central and
South America. They live in tropical forests from Honduras to Paraguay, they are
tree-dwellers and diurnal, but can also be found on the ground when in search of
food.
 Threats
Habitat destruction is the main
threat for the species in South America. Capuchins are most often found in
captivity in laboratories, they are considered intelligent with excellent
memories and therefore prime targets for testing. These are also monkeys that
are used to help quadriplegics as they are able to work out more complex
problems. This makes them good pets and therefore very popular all over the
world. What most people do not realize however is that these same monkeys can
become extremely aggressive once they reach sexual maturity. Other threats
include local hunting for their meat.
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