COSTA RICA
WHITE FACED CAPUCHIN
[Cebus capucinus]. They are 13-20 inches in length and their tail is 14-20 inches long. They have a tuft of hair on their head that is similar to the cowl or capuche worn by Franciscan monks, which is how they got their name. They also have white hair on their throat. They have a prehensile tail that can grasp but not as well as a fifth hand; it usually serves simply as a prop or anchor while they travel through the trees. They have a well defined opposable thumb and are quadrupedal. They live in troops ranging from six to twenty members. They are highly territorial and mark their trails by urinating on their hands and then rubbing their feet and fur. They use sticks for defense. They primarily eat fruits and insects, but also small vertebrates and birds. Some of their foods are nuts, berries, seeds , flowers, buds, shoots, bark, gums, arachinids, eggs, and even oysters and crabs . They find food on the ground but mostly in the trees, usually only descending to the ground for water. They search under logs and leaves or tear off bark in order to find insects and small lizards. They are choosy eaters, picking out grubs from fruit and testing for ripeness by smelling and squeezing. They are easily spot in Santa Rosa and Manuel Antonio National Parks.
FAUNA OF COSTA RICA
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