Introduction - Capuchin Monkey
The Capuchin Monkey, who are considered the most intelligent New World monkeys are native to Central and South America. Although they can adapt easily, they tend to live in regions where there are plenty of tropical rain forests. What makes them sought after as an exotic pet include their small size, their intelligence and their ability to be easily trained. When properly trained they can even assist handicapped people. The fact that they are just plain cute is another reason why people are attracted to these interesting animals. The lists below contain more facts about this amazing animal.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com books about the Capuchin Monkey.
General Capuchin Monkey Facts
- In their natural environment, Capuchin monkeys will eat fruit, bugs, leaves, flowers, nuts, and some small mammals. As pets they will eat table food but run the risk of developing health issues if not given the proper nutrition.
- In the wild, Capuchin Monkeys spend most of their time in the trees, swinging through them in search of food and sleeping in them.
- Capuchins are New World Monkeys (native to the Americas) with prehensile tails which allow them to grasp tree branches with their tails in the same manner they would use their hands. They can also use their tails to carry things or as an aid in foraging.
- Groups of between 10-30 Capuchins will generally live together. This group consists of males, females and babies.
- Capuchins are territorial animals and will clearly mark their territory by soaking their feet and hands in their urine and leaving the scent in their wake.
- In captivity, they can live 35-40 years but their lifespan in the wild is unknown. It is presumed to be far less than in captivity and possibly in the 18-20 year range.
- These agile monkeys are great jumpers and although they are small their lean bodies can reach Capuchin monkey facts (9 meters) in a single jump.
Capuchin Monkey Descriptive Facts
- These monkeys are quite small weighing just 3 - 9 pounds (1.36 - 4.9 kilograms) when fully grown.
- Also known as ring-tailed monkeys for the way they curl their tails around things, the Capuchins furry tail reaches 12 - 22 inches (30 to 56 centimeters) long.
- The face of the Capuchin is either white or pink with long forehead hairs that create a ruff or fringe across the top of the head.
- The color of the fur varies but the head, shoulders and neck generally have a cream or tan coat while the rest of the body is darker in color.
Capuchin Monkey Baby Facts
- Babies are taken care of for the first couple of years by their mothers. Other than gathering food to eat, the fathers do not participate in caring for them. Once they reach maturity, they will interact with them.
- The mothers carry the newborn babies on their back to transport them.
- Babies can be born to the same female monkey every two years after a gestation period of about 5 1/2 to 6 months.
- Capuchin monkeys are often taken from their mothers as small babies to raise as pets who will often spend their life in diapers, wearing baby clothing, taken out on a leash and given food meant for humans.