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.