Capuchin Monkey

The Capuchin Monkey lives in thick forests, and spends most of its time in trees and they only descend to the ground to drink. Capuchin Monkeys are common in Latin America and South America. These monkeys are well accustomed to life in the jungle. They can jump from one tree onto another, using their long prehensile tails.

Capuchin Monkeys are social animals. They live in large groups, which may count up to 35 individuals. The average size of a group is about 20 animals. Each group maintains its own territory. Capuchins mark their territories with urine, and they do not allow aliens to trespass on their home range. Urine markings also help them take their bearings when searching for food and drink. Capuchins feed on fruits, leaves, nuts, insects, birds and possibly small mammals.

Capuchin Monkeys communicate by aid of various calls and gestures. They are cooperative in looking for food and exhibit a striking solidarity in protecting each other against intruders and predators. Capuchin Monkeys are very intelligent. This is one of the few wild species showing a unique behavior – mutual altruism. If one of the members of the group gets in trouble, other individuals may come for help. Stronger individuals often share food with weaker ones, which is atypical of other wild animals. These monkeys even seem to have a good memory for actions by their mates, and are known to develop corresponding attitudes toward each other.

Capuchin Monkeys are not large. They weigh only 3-9 lbs, and this facilitates their arboreal life. These animals have a dark brown fur, but it is lighter around the face, neck and shoulders. There is no hair on the animal’s face, and the face is usually white or pinkish in color. Capuchin Monkeys have very expressive mimics.

Capuchin monkeys move in groups, and they can adapt to various environments, where there is enough vegetation for them to hide in. They can get close to human settlements. Capuchins are renowned for their smart minds and friendly disposition. Captive Capuchins are very people-oriented. They can solve puzzles with a stunning ease, and an adult individual can equal a 4-year-old human child in terms of intelligence. Capuchins should not be confined in a small room for a long time. If you would like to have a Capuchin Monkey as a pet, you must bear in mind that these animals require a large amount of space and may become extremely destructive if bored.