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Capuchin Monkey

Cebus capunicus

Quick Facts

Scientific name: Cebus capunicus
Class: Mammal
Weight: 3 to 9 pounds
Life span: 15 to 30 years
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Number of offspring: 1 young at a time

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About

I LIVE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

Capuchin monkeys are native to regions in Central America with tropical evergreen and dry deciduous forests such as Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama. They can also be found in coastal regions of northwestern South America.


I AM AN OMNIVORE

Fruits and nuts make up a large portion of a capuchin monkey’s diet. However, this primate species is also an opportunistic feeder, meaning they will eat small vertebrates like squirrels, lizards, and birds on occasion


CAPUCHIN MONKEYS ARE SOCIAL

Capuchin monkeys are known to be very social animals and live in groups of 18 to 20 individuals. Female capuchin monkeys will stay in the group they are born into for the entirety of their lives, while male capuchins will leave when they are four years old and find a new group to join.


HITCHING A RIDE

Parental care is solely provided by the mother, the father does not have any involvement in the raising of young. Baby capuchins will cling to their mother’s back for the first six months of its life.


HELPING CAPUCHIN MONKEYS IN THE WILD

The capuchin monkeys at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo are enrolled in the Species Survival Plan (SSP). SSP is a program implemented by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to help ensure a genetically viable population exists.


I AM IMPORTANT TO MY ECOSYSTEM

Capuchin monkeys have a crucial role in their ecosystem of dispersing seeds, something that benefits forest health and biodiversity.


 

Conservation

Learn more about our efforts, our conservation partners around the world, and the simple steps you can take to contribute.

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