Just Monkeying Around

[MonkeyGirl18]

This thread is where I'm going to share facts about all kinds of primates, not just monkeys!

I just thought it would be a fun little project to do.

Monkeys have tails, if they don't they're an ape. Curious George is supposed to be a monkey, but he doesn't have a tail... hmm

I hope this I'd the right place to put this thread.

[MonkeyGirl18]

Table of Contents:
Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchin

[MonkeyGirl18]

Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchin


Conservation Status: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED!!!
There are only two populations of the Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchin in, well, Trinidad. These locations are the protected Bush Bush Wildlife Sanctuary and the Trinity Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. They can also be found in the wild in adjacent, unprotected areas like the Nariva Swamp.

There are likely fewer than 50 mature individuals left in the wild between the two populations. The threats they face include habitat loss and degredation, and hunting as crop pests and for pets.

Habitat:

[+] SPOILER

The Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchin prefer primary forests, which are forests that are undisturbed by humans. But they can also be found in secondary forests, which are forests that have naturally regrown after a period of human-caused disturbance. Compared to other capuchins, they tend to prefer moister and less disturbed forest habitats.

Appearance:

[+] SPOILER

Their hands, feet, and face are bare, no fur and is white

The rest of their body has tan to light brown fur

Their eyes are a chocolate brown

They are slender with long limbs

Their tail is semi-prehensile, acting as a 5th limb to help support and balance

Head - Body length: 15in (37cm)

Tail length: 17in (42cm)

Weight: 5.5-11lbs (adults), males weighing more than females

Behavior and Lifestyle:

[+] SPOILER

There is very little research on the Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchin!

Other capuchin species tend to live 15-25 years in the wild. They are diurnal, which means they are active during the day, much like other capuchins. They are primarily arboreal, which means they’re tree-dwellers. They are most commonly seen in the mornings in the middle canopy and floor of the forest foraging for food.

Based on other capuchins, they spend most of the day foraging for food in groups. At night, they sleep upon the branches of trees. They walk on all fours, but may also be capable of walking and standing upright. When foraging, they can use their strong tails to hang upside-down, but their tails cannot support their entire body weight. They have a few predators, which include humans, snakes and birds of prey. They also have their own defense mechanism. They will emit warning calls when they sense a predator. They remain vigilant in groups. They spend most of their time in trees to avoid ground predators. They are agile and can retreat quickly, their colorization acting as camouflage. Males will form coalitions to defend against predators. They also take precautions by selecting habitats that offer better protection.

Diet:

[+] SPOILER

Seeds

Insects and Larvae

Fruit

Flowers

Young Leaves

Young Birds

Eggs

Invertibrates

Daily Life and Group Dynamics:

[+] SPOILER

There is not much daily life studied, the information is inferred to other capuchin species!

The Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchins live in multi-male multi-female troops. These troops can range from 8 to 17 individuals that are more female than male. They’re typically led by one dominant male. The males will typically leave their birth troop to either start their own troop or join an unrelated troop while the females will stay in their birth troop their entire life. They have large home ranges that are usually over 198 acres, or 80 hectares. Urine washing is commonly observed with this species. This is likely to mark territorial boundaries. Individuals will also wash their hands and feet with urine to establish boundaries between troops. They also groom one another.

Communications:

[+] SPOILER

The Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchins use body movement, touching, facial expressions and vocalization to communicate with each other. When a troop member gets lost, they will vocalize (arrh!) to locate their troop. These contact calls can also be used by females to signal the troop to move in a different direction. They have various calls for various things like warning about predators and contacting each other. When they’re in a confrontation, they can use eye poking to determine trust.

Reproduction and Family:

[+] SPOILER

The Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchins are a polygamous species. It is unknown what their breeding season is, or if they even have one. Most births are during the dry season. Females are pregnant for 5 months to a single offspring. They will post-pone mating for 1 to 1 1/2 years to care for their baby. Infants will nurse for 8 months and will maintain a tight grip on mom until they are strong enough to explore solo. The mom, as well as the other females in the troop, will care for them for up to 2 years old. Infants and juveniles are curious and playful and will engage in play behavior will all individuals in the troop. They mature at around 4 years old.

Ecological Role:

[+] SPOILER

The Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchins, like every other living being, has their own ecological role. They can disperse seeds through feces as they move about. Just like bees, they also spread pollen that stick to their fur as they eat flowers. They act as a sort of pest control as they eat insects and larvae. As a prey animal, they feed the local predators.

FUN FACT!

[+] SPOILER

A tea party with leafy cups: Trinidad white-fronted capuchins have been infrequently seen using leaves as cups to drink water from tree cavities.

A small clip of someone filming a Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchin.

[MonkeyGirl18]

You can now comment if you'd like!

If you have any ideas on how I can improve, let me know. I'm just kinda winging it.

[galled]

Bookmarked! It's awesome so far. I've learned stuff I didn't know.

You'll probably do it already--links to videos would be a cherry on top.

[MonkeyGirl18]

I actually never thought of that. I may see if I can find one for them and add it to that post!

[galled]

Finally was able to read everything in the first post. Well done! I like the format sections. Really good. I look forward to the next installments!