Capuchin is a member of the Primate family of tenacious monkeys. A noisy and mobile creature. Capuchin is also known as Steller's Capuchin. This type of primate is one of the most friendly. In this article, you will find a description and a photo of the common capuchin and learn a lot about this charming monkey.
What does the Capuchin look like?
Capuchin is an ordinary one that looks smart and fast. It is very mobile and cannot be in one place. They are friendly and very curious. They are cute and direct animals. They are too emotional and scared. Emotions change very quickly. A monkey openly shows all her emotions. Capuchins have well developed facial expressions. This is the most capable and intelligent type of primate.
Capuchin wool is black or dark brown. The back and legs are black. The neck, chest, and shoulders of yellowish-white primate. Capuchin has pinkish skin on its face, without wool. Around the muzzle of the primate white fur.
The animal has large dark eyes, so the capuchin looks charming and very heartfelt. Sometimes there are dark marks above the eyes. The primate also has large triangular fangs.
Capuchin common looks like a small primate has a flexible and slender body with thin limbs. The average body length of the animal is 35-45 cm, tail length 50 cm, and the average weight varies between 3-3.5 kg. Males are slightly larger than females. Capuchin lives in the wild for 20 years but can survive up to 50 years.
Capuchin looks unusual due to its color, which gave it its unusual name. The color of the capuchin's occipital part forms a peculiar cap of black color as if it is wearing a hood. This color of the capuchin reminds us of the clothes of the monk of the Order of Capuchins. That's why the animal was called a capuchin.
The tail of the monkey is long and tenacious, adapted for grabbing. It can be wrapped around a branch several times. But it is not strong enough, so the capuchin cannot hang on it. The tail helps the animal both in the forest and on the ground. Capuchins move on all extremities, jump fast. These little elegant monkeys are very nimble and very careful.
Where do the capuchins live and how?
The Capuchins live in the dense tropical forests of South and Central America. They inhabit different types of forests. These are daytime animals that lead to active and mobile lives. They spend most of their time in the trees looking for food. However, despite the fact that capuchins live mostly on top of trees, they are more likely than many other monkeys to descend to the ground.
Capuchins live in groups of up to 40 individuals. The higher the number of animals in the group, the more chances they have to withstand large birds of prey. Each group has its own territory where primates move in search of food. Usually, the area of their territory is from 30 to 80 hectares, and animals can move up to 2 kilometers per day.
The group is led by an experienced male and supervised by all members of the group, as well as by females and the younger generation. While in the group, the animals pay a lot of attention to communication and contact - they correspond, clean each other's hair and catch parasites. At night they sleep in thick trees. During sleep, capuchins are usually wrapped up in a ball, covered with their tail and wrapped around a branch.
The animal's senses are best developed in touch. But the capuchin does not have good eyesight and does not see at all at night. An animal's sense of smell also often fails it. Everything that a monkey wants to sniff is held at the nose. But she is quite often mistaken because she can eat something that is inedible. He also does not hear well enough, so it is easy to sneak upon him.
Capuchins live in constant motion, climb trees, cling to tree branches with long tails, jump and run. A common capuchin moves through the trees using all four limbs, and its tail serves as support.
Capuchins are very noisy, their vocal cords are able to produce a variety of sounds. Monkeys can scream, roar, twitter, whistle, purr and even sing trills. They willingly exchange information with each other and talk. If a group divides up in search of food to find each other, they overlap. Capuchins live peacefully and do not conflict with other primates in the neighborhood, they can mix with other families.
What do capuchins eat?
Capuchins eat mostly fruit, and they make up more than half of the diet of these primates. The capuchin diet includes insects and plant foods. Capuchins feed on flowers, plant shoots, young leaves, and berries. They also eat roots, kidneys, bark, seeds, and nuts.
Primate prefers larvae of caterpillars, beetles, and ants among insects. Capuchin also feeds on small birds, frogs and lizards. Animals seek out insects and reptiles on leaves and under the bark. Monkeys often visit bird's nests and steal eggs or chicks.
Because capuchins are very clever monkeys, before they eat a frog, they can preliminarily knock it against a tree to clear the mucus. Curious monkeys try everything new and share it with others. These clever primates knock a stone on a nut to get a tasty kernel.