Diet

The capuchin monkey feeds on a vast range of food types, and is more varied than other
monkeys in the family Cebidae. They are omnivores, and consume a variety of plant parts such
as leaves, flower and fruit, seeds, pith, woody tissue, sugarcane, bulb, and exudates, as well as
arthropods, molluscs, a variety of vertebrates, and even primates.[13] Capuchins have been
observed to also be particularly good at catching frogs.[13] They are characterized as innovative
and extreme foragers because of their ability to acquire sustenance from a wide collection of
unlikely food, which may assure them survival in habitats with extreme food limitation.[14]
Capuchins living near water will also eat crabs and shellfish by cracking their shells with
stones.[15]

Social structure and habitat

Capuchin monkeys inhabit a large range of Brazil and other parts of Latin and Central America.
Capuchin monkeys often live in large groups of 10 to 35 individuals within the forest, although
they can easily adapt to places colonized by humans. Usually, a single male will dominate the
group, and they have primary rights to mate with the females of their group. However, the white-
headed capuchin groups are led by both an alpha male and an alpha female.[16] Each group will
cover a large territory, since members must search for the best areas to feed. These primates are
territorial animals, distinctly marking a central area of their territory with urine and defending it
against intruders, though outer areas may overlap. The stabilization of group dynamics is served
through mutual grooming, and communication occurs between the monkeys through various
calls.[17] Capuchins can jump up to nine feet (three meters), and they use this mode of transport
to get from one tree to another. They remain hidden among forest vegetation for most of the day,
sleeping on tree branches and descending to the ground to find drinking water.