Scientific Name:
Sapajus apella
Distribution
Central South America (Amazon)
Diet:
Omnivorous, prefers fruits and insects. Also eats arthropods, frogs, baby birds, small mammals, leaves and flowers.
Facts
Habitat: tropical forests.
Weight: male: max 4,8kg , female: max 3,4 kg.
Dimensions: head to torso max 46, tail length: 38-49cm.
Gestation: 150-160 days, 1-2 young at each birth.
Lifespan: 40-45 years.
Social structure: Groups of 8-15 individuals, more females than males.
Estimated population in the wild: Common-decreasing.
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Threats: Forest and habitat degradation, hunted for its meat and traditional medicine practices, illegal exotic pet trade.
Did you know that:
- The animals in a group tend to clean each other in order to maintain their hygiene but also to strengthen their bonds.
- They live and co-exist with other species, with whom they share common nutritional habits, and take advantage of them by letting them find food –which they eventually steal.
- Capuchins can’t swim.
- Their tail is long and "prehensile" or has the ability to hold.
- They scent mark themselves by washing their hands in their own urine and rubbing their hands on their fur. This may be a way for males to advertise their sexual maturity.