Featured Animal: White Faced Capuchin

The white faced capuchin, also known as the white headed capuchin and the white throated capuchin, is a medium sized species of monkey that is native to the jungles of Central America and the northern regions of South America.

The white faced capuchin is one of the most well known monkeys, particularly in North America, and the white faced capuchin is thought to be one of the most intelligent monkeys in the world with the white faced capuchin being best known as a companion for organ grinders and are also used to assist people that are paraplegic.

The white faced capuchin plays a vital role in the eco-system where the white faced capuchin inhabits, as the white faced capuchin is one of the most effective dispersers of plant and fruit seeds throughout the jungle. The white faced capuchin does this by eating the fruits and berries that grow in the surrounding jungle and the seeds are then put back into the ground in the feces of the white faced capuchin.
The white faced capuchin live in troops which generally contain around 20 individual white faced capuchin members. The white faced capuchin tends to live between 15 and 20 years in the wild, in captivity however, the white faced capuchin has been recorded to live until it is more than 50 years old!

The white faced capuchin is a highly adaptable mammal and is known to live in all different types of forest in Central and South America. Although the white faced capuchin mainly feeds on fruits and berries, the white faced capuchin also eats insects, plants and even small creatures such as frogs and birds.

Within a white faced capuchin troop, there tend to be more female white faced capuchin members than males and as with many other species of sociable primates, the white faced capuchin troop generally has an alpha male member whose primary role is to breed with the female members and to protect their troop.

White faced capuchin troops are not thought to be highly territorial as they spend a great deal of their time on the move. On average a white faced capuchin will travel 2 km every day but there always seems to be conflict when faced with a different troop of white faced capuchin monkeys.