Capuchin monkeys are a group of New World monkey species native to the forests of Central and South America, recognized by their expressive faces and, in many species, a cap-like patch of darker fur on the crown of the head that gave them their common name. They are highly intelligent and dexterous, known for using stones and sticks as tools to crack open nuts and shellfish, and they live in social groups that forage together through the forest canopy and lower levels. Capuchins are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, seeds, insects and small vertebrates, and their intelligence and adaptability have made them one of the most studied primate groups in the wild, though several individual capuchin species face threats from habitat loss.
Facts
Scientific Name Conservation StatusSpecies-level taxonomy within Cebinae remains disputed and status is not uniform across the group; the IUCN Red List reports nearly all recognized species declining, several facing extinction risk. Classification
Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill). Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceCapuchin monkeys are usually dark brown with a cream or off-white coloring around the neck and face. 1 Connections
Child Taxon Of
Open Questions
Source Capuchin Monkey (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Capuchin Monkey (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationCapuchin monkey, summary extract
The capuchin monkeys are New World monkeys of the subfamily Cebinae.
Capuchin monkey, Description section
Capuchin monkeys are usually dark brown with a cream/off-white coloring around their necks.
Capuchin monkey, Conservation section
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, nearly all species are decreasing in population, with many facing threats of extinction.
View the Source Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: CebidaeView the Source Open Questions (1 open question)
How many capuchin monkeys exist in the wild?
Capuchin monkey taxonomy across Cebus and Sapajus remains disputed, and most population data are local abundance studies rather than range-wide counts, so no reliable total population figure exists for the group.
What would resolve this A settled species-level taxonomy for Cebinae paired with range-wide surveys for each recognized species.
Primatology and conservation biologyCapuchin Monkey (Wikipedia)
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