Shock-Headed Capuchin, Cebus cuscinus
SHOCK-HEADED CAPUCHIN
Cebus cuscinus
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
The shock-headed capuchin (Cebus cuscinus) is native to the South American countries of Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, although their exact range is not well understood. Making their homes in both lowland and montane forests up to an elevation of 5,900 feet (1,800 m), shock-headed capuchins are well adjusted to a mostly arboreal life high in the trees. They have only recently been recognized as their own species and, unfortunately, there is a serious lack of data about this unique species.
TAXONOMIC NOTES
Shock-headed capuchins were previously listed as a subspecies of Humboldt’s white-fronted capuchins (Cebus albifrons) in 1949. Recently, work has been undertaken to sort out the genetic relationships of the gracile capuchins (those of the genus Cebus). There is ongoing debate about whether shock-headed capuchins are their own species, or whether they’re a subspecies of the Marañón white-fronted capuchin (C. yuracus), Spix’s white-fronted capuchin (C. unicolor), or Humboldt’s white-fronted capuchin. Wherever they fit, it is clear that these are unique monkeys for which conservation needs to be a top priority.
Size, Weight, and Lifespan
Small compared to most other capuchins, shock-headed capuchin males weigh between 3.7 and 5.3 lbs (1.7–2.4 kg) on average, and females weigh between 3.1 and 4.9 lbs (1.4–2.2 kg). Capuchin monkeys generally have a head and body length between 12 and 22 inches (30–56 cm), and shock-headed capuchins are on the small side of this range. Their average lifespan is believed to be about 40 years.
Appearance
Shock-headed capuchins live up to their placement among the gracile capuchins. Like their cousins in their genus, they have long, nimble arms and legs that allow them to move seemingly effortlessly throughout their habitat. Their color palette is made up of a range of hues from orange to brown to cream-colored, topped off with a “shock” of light-colored hair around their faces. They have short, sparse hair on their faces, through which their pink skin can easily be seen. Their long, orange tails are fully prehensile, with the ability to grasp objects like tree limbs—a necessity for life high in the canopy!
Diet
Shock-headed capuchins enjoy a varied diet. They eat fruits, seeds, arthropods, frogs, baby birds, and small mammals, and supplement their diet with stems, flowers, and leaves.
Behavior and Lifestyle
Shock-headed capuchins are diurnal (active during daylight hours) and mostly arboreal (tree-dwelling). They move about quadrupedally (on all fours) and prefer the middle to upper canopy, but often forage on the ground. They spend most of the day searching for food, occasionally punctuated by a midday nap. At night, they find sleeping spots high in the trees to better hide from predators. Capuchin monkeys are considered to be some of the most intelligent of the New World monkeys.
Capuchin monkeys have undergone the “mirror test,” in which an animal is presented with a mirror and tested to see whether it recognizes the reflection as merely a reflection, or as another animal. Capuchin monkeys “scored” somewhere in the middle—they don’t seem to recognize their reflection as such, but they don’t behave as if it is another monkey either. This is an indication of their intelligence, as most animals treat the reflection as if they’re seeing another animal.
The average group size of shock-headed capuchins is about 20 individuals, and males very slightly outnumber females. The group is led by a dominant male and female. Each sex has its own linear hierarchy, and males are dominant to females. In general, life within the group is peaceful. Aggressive encounters only constitute about 10% of all the social interactions within the group. Capuchin monkeys are territorial, marking their territory with urine and defending it from other groups.
Grooming is an important form of social bonding and communication within a group of shock-headed capuchins. The dominant individuals enjoy receiving most of the grooming while they rarely groom others. They have a loud alarm call that is used to warn others of predators. Olfactory communication is also likely very important and is believed to play a role in reproduction and in defending territory.
Although shock-headed capuchins don’t have a strict breeding season, most births occur during the dry season. Females signal their readiness to mate through chemical cues in their urine and actively respond to males who are looking to mate. After mating, a mother gives birth to her offspring after a 150–160 day gestation period. She postpones breeding for another year in order to devote her attention to her infant. She is able to have another baby about 18 months after the first. Luckily, she is not alone in raising her infant. Other group members respond to distressed infants even if they are not their own, and dominant males often provide care to infants. For the first two months of a young shock-headed capuchin’s life, she is nursed by her mother. Both males and females become sexually mature at about 3.5 years of age. Upon reaching maturity, males disperse from the natal group while females remain in it.
Shock-headed capuchins are small and vulnerable to predators, so they contribute to the ecosystem as a form of prey for larger carnivores. They also likely play an important role as seed dispersers.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists shock-headed capuchins as Near Threatened (IUCN, 2015), appearing on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This assessment is based on a projected population loss of more than 25% over the next 50 years. The main threats against shock-headed capuchins are habitat loss and capture for the pet trade.
Unfortunately, forest loss is not only continuing within the range of the shock-headed capuchin; it is actually accelerating. In Peru, about 1,100 square miles (2,850 square km) of forest are cut down every year, the majority of which is illegal deforestation. Over the next 50 years, if trends continue, more than 30% of forest habitat in the shock-headed capuchin’s Brazilian range, 15% in its Peruvian range, and 10% in its Bolivian range will be lost.
Compounding the significant threats posed by habitat loss are those posed by the pet trade. Gracile capuchins are one of the most common primates in the illegal pet trade. One study pins them at comprising 18% of total primate pets found and 33% of those found in illegal zoos and circuses. Not only does the illegal pet trade harm wild populations of primates, the captured monkeys and their owners are also worse for it. No pet owner can realistically provide the care needed for a shock-headed capuchin to thrive in captivity, and, despite their small size, shock-headed capuchins can and will deliver a nasty bite that can do serious harm to their owner. Primates simply do not make good pets, and the pet trade actively harms wild populations that are already facing threats from habitat loss. The combination of accelerating habitat loss and illegal collection for the pet trade, unfortunately means that there is a significant amount of work to be done to protect shock-headed capuchins from further population loss.
Shock-headed capuchins are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international agreement between governments whose goal is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Shock-headed capuchins are found in several protected areas throughout their range, including the Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve in Peru and the Madidi National Park in Brazil.
- https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/4075/191701729
- https://animalia.bio/shock-headed-capuchin
- https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cebus_albifrons/
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/fall-2015/articles/deforestation-in-peru
- https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Capuchin_monkey
Written by K. Clare Quinlan, September 2022