Monkeys of Costa Rica
White-faced Capuchin Monkey
The White-faced Capuchin monkey ( Cebus imitator ) is the second smallest monkey in Costa Rica and ranges from Honduras to Ecuador., White-faced Capuchins live in the rainforests of the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Costa Rica. These monkeys are is omnivorous and will eat fruits, nuts, eggs, lizards, birds, and insects. Capuchins are mostly arboreal and active during the day, in troops of 20- 25 members. The biggest and oldest male tends to be dominant although young males may be found in the same troop. Capuchins evaluate fruits by tasting, smelling and prodding, then extracting the juice and pulp and spit out large seeds and fibers., The discarded seeds and fibers attracts other animals that follows foraging Capuchins. Agoutis , collared peccaries, and coatis are some of the mammals that eat food dropped by Capuchins. Birds such as, Double-toothed Kites, Gray - Headed tanagers, and Slaty-tailed Trogons may perch nearby in trees to pick off insects and other small animals that are flushed by the feeding Capuchin troop. White-faced Capuchins have been observed using plants with pharmaceutical properties. Capuchins may themselves with several citrus fruits, ( including lemons, limes, sweet lemons, oranges and mandarins) and a black pepper relative ( Piper auritum) . Both the citrus and black pepper relative contain insecticides, fungicides, and anesthetics among other substances.
The Howler Monkey
( Alouatta palliata ) is the second largest monkey in Costa Rica. Howlers form large male dominated troops of 30-40 individuals. Howler monkeys feed heavily on leaves that contain cellulose and may contain toxins. Because the digestive systems of these monkeys lack enzymes that can break down cellulose, Howler monkeys break down cellulose by fermentation which is a slow process that is less efficient than ruminants such as cattle and deer. Howlers carefully select young leaves of dozens of different tree species because young leaves tend to contain less cellulose and toxins and more protein than mature leaves. Howlers will also eat flowers and fruits. Howlers call at dawn and dusk and periodically throughout the day in response to calls of neighboring troops. In male Howlers, the hyoid bone is about 25 times larger than the hyoid bone in other similarly sized monkeys and is located next to the vocal chords and serves to amplify the calls. The calls of male Howlers can be heard for several kilometers allowing the monkeys to claim territories vocally thus, saving energy and avoiding physical confrontations.
Squirrel Monkey
The Squirrel monkey ( Saimiri oerstedii ) is the smallest monkey in Costa Rica and is only found in the central and south Pacific regions of the country. Squirrel monkeys form larger troops than any other New World monkey. In Costa Rica between 50 to 70 individuals may travel together in a troop providing more efficient foraging and protection against predators. Squirrell monkeys primarily forage in the middle and lower levels of the forest for insects, larvae, spiders, small fruits, leaves, flowers, nectar, bark, and small vertebrates such as lizards, birds, frogs and bats. Similar to Capuchin monkeys, several types of birds will follow large troops of Squirrell monkeys to feed on flushed insects and vertebrates.
Spider Monkey
The Spider monkey ( Ateles geoffroyi ) is the largest monkey in Costa Rica and can be found on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes, mostly in large protected areas of primary forest. Spider monkeys forage by day in the upper levels of the forest and are more exclusively frugivorous ( fruit-eating ) than any other Costa Rican monkey. Spider monkeys will also eat leaves and flowers in small quantities. Because different fruits develop seasonally and have patchy distributions, Spider monkeys have evolved several adaptations. Various anatomical features allow Spider monkeys to move easily and quickly between fruiting trees and reach the tips of the branches where many fruits grow. Strong and longer arms (25% longer than legs which is the opposite of most mammals ) allows them to swing from branch to branch while they traveling among the tree tops. Long fingers also facilitate rapid movement in the tree tops. Spider monkey thumbs are reduced and barely visible and are not neccessary to manipulate fruits. Spider monkeys have the strongest and most dexterous prehensile tail of any mammal in the world. A palm-like naked pad on the underside of the tip of the tail increases sensitivity and helps grip, making the tail a grasping a fifth limb.
