Monkeys in Costa Rica four species of monkeys in Costa Rica. The list includes: howler, spider, white-faced (capuchin) and squirrel.

Monkeys in Costa Rica — Appearance

The smallest and most endangered monkey in Costa Rica is the squirrel monkey. It has an orange back and white and black facial mask. It grows up to 45cm (17 inches) in size and this includes the tail. The squirrel monkey weighs on average 0.695kg (1.5 lbs). There are few squirrel monkeys left in Costa Rica and are most often seen at Manuel Antonio National Park and Corcovado National Park.

The most abundant monkey in Costa Rica is the howler monkey. It is the second largest species and weighs on average 7.15kg (16 lbs). The female is smaller at 5.35kg (12 lbs). This monkey is black with a fringe of gold on each side. It is found in many parks and reserves in Costa Rica. A few are listed here:

• Monteverde Cloud Forest
• Corcovado National Park
• Manuel National Park
• Barra Honda National Park
• Arenal Volcano National Park
• Tortuguero National Park

The second smallest monkey in Costa Rica is the white-faced (capuchin) monkey. It is black with a pink face and white coat on the front shoulders, chest and face. The male white-faced weighs about 3.7kg (8 lbs) while the females averages 2.6kg (6 lbs). This monkey is easy to view in Manuel Antonio National Park. Another good place to see it is in Santa Rosa National Park.

The largest of Costa Rica's monkeys is the spider monkey. The average male weighs about 8.2kg (18 lbs) while the females weighs about 7.7kg (17 lbs). Its coat is predominantly reddish-brown colored with a black face. It has a prehensile tail which means the tail has been adapted for grasping or holding. The spider monkey has long slim arms. It is most often seen at Manuel Antonio National Park.

The squirrel monkey lives in a restricted range of secondary and primary lowland forests on the central and south Pacific of Costa Rica. It lives in groups of 20-75 monkeys but on average are 40. Each group has several males, females and juveniles. On average groups contain 60% more females than males. The groups can overlap ranges which are between 35-65 hectares (86-160 acres).

The squirrel monkey is arboreal (moves in trees) and diurnal and most often moves through the trees on four legs. They will sleep in the same trees for months at a time.

The howler monkey lives in groups that can exceed 40 members. The average group size is usually between 10-20 members with one to three adult males and five to 10 adult females. Males outrank females and younger monkeys rank higher than older monkeys. The higher ranking animals get preference for food and resting sites and the alpha males gets primary mating rights.

They live across a diverse range of habitat including secondary, semi-deciduous and evergreen forest. The howler can occupy between 10-60 hectares (25-150 acres) of territory.

The howler has a hair-raising call that can be heard up to a mile in the densest forest. The males sing in chorus again at dusk.

The white-faced (capuchin) monkey is a highly intelligent monkey that lives in many different types of forests, including mangrove, montane, primary, evergreen and secondary forests. It is diurnal and arboreal and comes to the ground more often than other Costa Rican monkeys. It forms groups of 24 monkeys composed of more females than males. On average, there are 0.71 males for every female and the average group has 16 members. The group is lead by a dominant female and male. The females are generally related while males are competitive and males emigrate to new groups.

The spider monkey lives in mangroves, deciduous forests and rainforests. This monkey is arboreal and diurnal and inhabits the upper portion of the forest. it lives in large groups with between 20-42 members. It lives in fission-fusion societies where the main group splits into smaller subgroups while foraging during the day. Subgroups are usually between 2-6 members.

The squirrel monkey is omnivorous and its diet includes insects, insect larvae, spiders, fruit, leaves, bark, flowers and nectar. It will eat small vertebrates such as birds, lizards, frogs and bats. It forages through the lower and mid levels of the forest and spends two-thirds of each day looking for food.

The howler monkey is the most folivorous species of the Costa Rican monkeys. Leaves compose anywhere from 50-75% of its diet. It will also eat fruit, figs and flowers.

The white-faced (capuchin) monkey eats vertebrates, invertebrates, and foods such as fruit and plant material.

The spider monkey diets consist of primarily fruit. It eats between 70-80% of its time. It also consumes leaves, flowers, bark, insects and honey.

Monkeys in Costa Rica — Reproduction

The breeding season for the squirrel monkey is in September. The gestation period is six months and typically one baby is born. About 50% of the babies survive more than six months due to predation. Females give birth every 12 months so the prior offspring becomes independent about the time the new baby is born. Females reach sexual maturity at 2.5 years, while males are a little later between 4-5 years.

The howler monkey has a polygamous mating system where the males mates with multiple females. The alpha males monopolizes the breeding opportunities. The gestation lasts for about 186 days and one baby is born. The baby clings to its mother's chest for the first 2-3 weeks. It moves to the mother's back until about three months. Babies are weaned at about 1.5 years. Females become sexually mature at 36 months and males at 42 months. Upon maturing, the young monkeys are evicted from the group.

The white-faced (capuchin) monkey has a polygamous mating system where the male will mate with multiple females. The gestation takes between 5-6 months and usually one baby is born. Most births happen during dry season and the mother carries the baby on her back for about six weeks. On average, the females gives birth for the first time at seven years of age. Males becomes sexually mature at ten years.

The spider monkey gives birth to one baby every 2-4 years. The gestation is about 7.5 months and the baby is carried on the mother's chest for about two months. It then moves to her back until its about one. Females become sexually mature at four while males are about five. Upon sexual maturity, males leave the group while females do not.