White-Faced Capuchin

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White-Faced Capuchin

Although it does possess a pink face, the White-Throated Capuchin is frequently called the white-faced capuchin. An adult capuchin will grow to be about 16 inches in height and weigh about 7 pounds, with the male being larger than the female. Capuchins can mostly be found in secondary and primary forest, but they can travel through all levels of forest in groups of up to 30 individuals. Although, they are omnivorous (eating both plants and animals), the majority of their diet is made up of fruit and insects. Capuchins can be quite finicky about the fruit they eat, as they often check for ripeness by smelling, biting, or squeezing them. Frequently, they will pound hard fruits on branches or rocks to soften them or to knock out the seeds.

The quantity of vertebrates consumed by capuchins differs between troops as well as between the sexes. Some groups of capuchins eat relatively few vertebrates while others can be among the most carnivorous primates in the world. Depending, capuchins have been known to eat the following: beetle larvae, butterfly and moth caterpillars, ants, wasps and their larvae, birds (as well as nestlings and eggs), lizards, frogs, crabs, oysters, parrots, magpie jays, squirrels and they have also come quite adept at raiding coati nests and eating the young.

Capuchins also appear to use some plants for pharmaceutical reasons. They have been known to rub themselves with various citrus fruits (including lemons, limes, sweet oranges, sour oranges, and mandarins), various vines, and the hairy seed pods of Sloanea terniflora. The reason for this behavior is not quite known, but many of the articles used include chemicals that could be used for insect repellent or various skin conditions. It is also thought that the rubbing behavior could be a form of scent marking (many of the articles have a pungent odor), or more simply done because it feels good.

Capuchins also have the distinction of having proportionately larger brains than other members of their family such as the squirrel monkey. Capuchins are capable of utilizing tools in order to get at food and to attack or defend themselves. In Manuel Antonio National Park a capuchin was seen beating a Fer-de-Lance viper snake to death with a club.

The gestation period for the capuchin is five and a half months and results in a single young or, rarely twins. A female usually gives birth during the dry season and produce young about every other year on average. Young capuchins are basically independent after five or six months, with females reaching sexual maturity at about four years, and males not until they are about eight.

Many populations of capuchins have been decimated or isolated due to deforestation in Costa Rica. At the same time, deforestation has also claimed that of their chief predator, the harpy eagle. Capuchins as well as sloths are a favorite prey of the harpy. The capuchins intelligence and adaptability have also made them a favorite in the pet trade. All things considered, the capuchins future looks fairly bright in Costa Rica as they thrive in many protected and unprotected habitats throughout the country.