Colombian White-Faced Capuchin Monkey

Cebus capucinus

Easy (Promiscuous)

The **Capuchin Monkey** (*Cebus capucinus*) is a small South American primate featured in the South America Pack of *Planet Zoo*.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population in the Wild:** Unknown

The Colombian white-faced capuchin monkey (or Cebus capucinus) is an arboreal primate that lives in the forests of Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. There are 11 species of capuchin and even more subspecies, and the Colombian white-faced variant can be distinguished by its black body fur and distinctive white fur on the shoulders, upper chest and around the face.
They also have a 'cap' of black fur on the top of their head and a pale pink face covered in sparse hair, as well as forward facing brown eyes. White-faced capuchins are between 33 and 45cm in length with a 35 to 55cm long tail, weighing between 1.5 and 4kg. Males are larger and heavier than females.

The species is not endangered but their numbers are in decline; threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation and also hunted for bushmeat. The behaviour and ecology of capuchins is being studied at various research sites in Colombia, which keeps conservationists aware of the obstacles that these animals face, although this research can often be hindered by political and revolutionary upheaval in the area.

### Social

This is a social species that lives in groups called 'troops', comprised of between 10 to 40 monkeys. All females in a group are related and males migrate into the troop, which tends to have more females than males.

### Reproduction

In a capuchin monkey troop, there will be an dominant male (usually the largest and strongest male) who protects the group from predators and rival troops. He is most likely to mate with the females in the group, although subordinate males also mate with females.

During courtship, receptive males and females will purse their lips at each other and chase each other; during the chase, the female may present herself to the male, or he may grab her. The female will be pregnant for 160 days before giving birth to a single infant, which she will look after closely for the first 4 weeks of its life. When it is between 1 and 3 months old, she will share the job of caring for it with other members of the group, who will assist in feeding, carrying and protecting the infant. This is known as 'alloparenting'.

At 3 months old, the infant moves independently and will begin playing with other young capuchins, as well as bonding with the dominant male. Around this age, it will start eating solid food, becoming fully weaned between 14 and 16 months old when its mother is likely to be pregnant again. Male capuchins will leave their natal troop at 4 years old to search for an unrelated troop, while females remain with their natal troop for life. Males reach sexual maturity between 7 to 10 years old and females at 4 years old, although they are unlikely to reproduce until they are approximately 7. Dominant males will leave their troop after 7 years as the alpha and move to a new group to prevent inbreeding.

## Animal Care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Suspended Forager · Forage Box Enrichment · Block of Frozen Fruit · Small Fixed Roller Feeder · Fruit Spike Tree
Ice Block · Cardboard Box · Climbing Frame · Mirror Mobile · Musical Keyboard · Gift Box · Small Ball · Small Ice Ball · Small Ball Colourful · Sprinkler · Rubber Duck

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* The white-faced capuchin is known to rub certain types of leaves on its fur; this is thought to be a method to deter parasites.
* Snakes are the main predators of the white-faced capuchin; monkeys have been known to attack snakes with sticks to save an infant capuchin.
* The capuchin monkey is named after capuchin monks, who wore long hooded robes that covered all but their face, similar to the pattern of the white-faced capuchin monkey's fur.
* White-faced capuchin monkeys are extremely intelligent and have been trained to assist paraplegics and to star in film and television roles.
* White-faced capuchin monkeys play games where one will put something in their mouth and then their peers will attempt to pry it out.

### Other Trivia

* The Colombian white-faced capuchin monkey is the first animal to have the in-game conservation status altered, having been changed from Least Concern to Vulnerable.
	+ The IUCN has since upgraded the species to Endangered.

* The Columbian white-faced capuchin is the first new world monkey added into the game.