Robust Capuchin Monkey

• Common Name: Crested Capuchin
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1820
• Monkey Size: 33 to 57 cm (13 to 22 in)
• Skin Color(s): Brownish red or yellowish brown
• Habitat: Forest, rainforest, mountains
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Brazil

Robust capuchin monkeys^[1], also called crested capuchin monkeys, are capuchin monkeys of the Sapajus genus.

• Unlike other capuchin species, the crested capuchin has a cone-shaped crest on its crown that is bright red with a black spot.
• This tapered shape can also continue down the sides of the head to create a black beard. The rest of the fur can be reddish-brown or yellowish-brown.
• The crested capuchin’s lower legs, forearms, and tail are all black, although, in females, these areas may be a mixture of black and light-yellow fur.
• Females may also have two lateral tufts on the crown that males do not. Generally, males are larger than females of the species and can weigh between 2.0 and 3.8 kilograms.

• Some crested capuchin species are known to use stone tools in the wild. These are used to crack nuts and other seeds, dried fruits, and even oysters.
• They are also known to sometimes rub defensive arthropod secretions on their bodies before eating them. These secretions are believed to serve as natural insecticides.
• They are skilled at manipulating food items to get the food they want. The two sexes form linear hierarchies, with the higher-ranking male being dominant over the higher-ranking female. Subordinate males are usually peripheral.
• This species has a limited distribution in the Atlantic Forest in Bahia (south) states, east of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, south of Rio Jequitinhonha, and north of Rio Jequitinhonha Rio Doce.