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Federal restrictions apply In-depth sheet

White-faced capuchin

Cebus capucinus

Also known as White-headed Capuchin, White-throated capuchin

Mammals › Monkeys, lemurs and apes (Primates) › Cebidae (Capuchins and squirrel monkeys)

Capuchins are highly intelligent, social primates that can live 45 years or more in captivity. Their needs and legal hurdles are serious.

Pet trade

Experience: Expert / facility

White-faced capuchin — Photo: Jan Helebrant, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Jan Helebrant, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Weight4.4–8.8 lb

Lifespanabout 45 years in care

ActiveDay

SocialGroups of about 10–25

Warnings

Federal legal status: Federal restrictions apply. See the federal legal snapshot and check your state rules before getting one.

Care guide

Diet

About 50–80% fruit, 20–30% animal food and 10% other plants.

Sources 77

Behavior

Problem-solvers that love taking things apart; need vertical space and constant enrichment.

Sources 77

Show the group care guide for capuchins and squirrel monkeys

Group care guide

Capuchins and squirrel monkeys

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Capuchins and squirrel monkeys inhabit Central and South American forests, using complex arboreal routes to forage and travel. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

The air range and numerical space standards are capuchin recommendations, not Saimiri minima. These are institutional primates with bite and infection risks. Human measles can be fatal to squirrel monkeys; exposed or ill staff require occupational-health guidance before contact.

Housing & setup

For about 10 breeding capuchins, EAZA recommends at least 40 m² indoors and 3 m height; a group of 10–15 needs at least three indoor compartments.
For 10–15 capuchins, provide at least two outdoor enclosures totaling at least 10 m² per individual and 4.5 m height.
Provide branching travel routes, ropes, elevated resting positions, visual screens and foraging substrate; squirrel monkeys also need abundant climbing and hiding opportunities.
Provide separate accommodation for evicted group members and secure transfer compartments.
Distribute feeding and puzzle opportunities so subordinate animals can obtain their complete ration.

Sources 588 589

Climate & lighting

Indoor minimum

64.4–68°F or warmer

UVB: EAZA recommends daylight/UV access for capuchins, with dietary vitamin D3 provision reviewed by the nutritionist; lighting alone should not be assumed adequate.

Sources 588 589

Diet

A complete New World primate feed with appropriate vitamin C and D3 provision.
Vegetables such as bell pepper, carrot and sweet potato.
Gut-loaded insects for capuchins, delivered through foraging enrichment.
Small quantities of in-shell nuts for capuchins; restrict sweet fruit and other high-calorie rewards.

Sources 588 589

Social life

Maintain stable conspecific social groups with professionally managed introductions. Saimiri sciureus and S. boliviensis differ in social organization; mixed capuchin–squirrel monkey exhibits require expert assessment.

Sources 588 589

Handling

Train voluntary crate entry and veterinary cooperation; reserve physical restraint for trained staff.

Sources 588 589

Health watch

Obesity and associated diabetes in capuchins.
Dental disease with sugary diets.
Bloat in squirrel monkeys.
Aggression-related injuries.

Sources 588 589

Understanding the animal

In the wild

Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹²³

Where it lives	Colombian populations occupy both tropical dry forest fragments in Montes de María and wet forest on Gorgona Island. Gorgona animals chiefly use canopy and subcanopy but also descend to the ground; this account excludes Central American C. imitator.
Ground it lives on	Mostly arboreal; also uses the forest floor.
Climate	Tropical. The species is common in areas of high humidity, but the source provides no specific temperature or humidity values or seasonal temperature ranges.
Active	Diurnal.
Social life	Mixed-sex groups; observed groups contained 12–25 animals on Gorgona, while Montes de María groups averaged about 10.5.
Wild diet	Gorgona field observations recorded fruit, flowers and invertebrates.
Behavior to plan for	Uses several forest strata and moves through canopy and subcanopy while foraging.

What this means for care

Provide extensive connected climbing routes plus ground access.
Plan for compatible social groups rather than solitary housing.
Distribute fruit, floral and invertebrate-style foraging tasks through multiple heights.

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 88°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 72°F (down to 66°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	75–81°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	82–84% on average (driest month about 76%)
Rainfall	about 2454 mm a year

Measured at 90 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

Profile

Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.

History

Its broad distribution and ability to occupy wet, dry, primary, and secondary forests make it one of the more geographically widespread New World monkeys.

Keeper tips

Provide extensive vertical and elevated climbing opportunities.
Include structures that allow quadrupedal travel as well as jumping between supports.
Provide supports that can be grasped with the prehensile tail.
Design the environment around the species' use of forest middle strata rather than only floor space.
Consider its natural association with humid tropical forests when designing environmental conditions.

Behaviors reported

Uses a prehensile tail for grasping.
Uses the tail to carry food.
Uses the tail for added postural support.
Is an excellent climber and leaper.
Moves primarily quadrupedally.

Unique adaptations

A prehensile tail provides grasping ability and postural support.
Strong climbing and leaping ability supports movement through forest habitats.
Distinctive black-and-white coloration includes black dorsum and hindquarters with white upper chest, forearms, and facial fur.

Remarkable facts

It occurs from sea level to about 2100 m, with an average reported elevation of about 1100 m.
Males weigh about 3-4 kg and females about 2-3 kg.
It reaches full adult size by about eight years of age.
The source describes its sexual size difference as the greatest degree of sexual dimorphism among capuchins.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The Colombian white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus), also known as the Colombian white-headed capuchin or Colombian white-throated capuchin, is a medium-sized New World monkey of the family Cebidae, subfamily Cebinae. It is native to the extreme eastern portion of Panama and the extreme north-western portion of South America in western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. The Colombian white-faced capuchin was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	White-faced capuchins are highly adaptable and occupy a wide range of habitats. — Animal Diversity Web
Social life and communication	White-faced capuchins are highly social and communication is very important. — Animal Diversity Web
Wild diet	White-faced capuchins eat a wide variety of plants and animals. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	White-faced capuchins are highly social and live in multi male - multi female groups of 18 to 20. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	White-faced capuchins are polygamous, with males and females having multiple partners. — Animal Diversity Web
Lifespan	White-faced capuchin maximum lifespan in captivity is 55 years. — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	White-faced capuchins have distinctive markings that distinguish them from other capuchin monkeys. — Animal Diversity Web
History and naming	Until the 21st century, the Panamanian white-faced capuchin, Cebus imitator, was considered conspecific with the Colombian white-faced capuchin, as the subspecies C. capucinus imitator. Some primatologists continue to consider the Panamanian and Colombian white-faced capuchins as a single species. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Conservation	C. c. capucinus has been listed as vulnerable from a conservation standpoint by the IUCN, while C. c. curtus has been listed as vulnerable. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Lifespan in care

Reported45–55years

Animal Diversity Web 7745–55

Maximum recorded lifespan

Highest reported55years

AnAge 16254

Myhrvold et al. 16355

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources5.9lb

AnAge 1625.9

Myhrvold et al. 1635.9

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Litter size

Average of sources1young

AnAge 1621

Myhrvold et al. 1631

Average per litter or clutch.

Gestation

Average of sources162days

AnAge 162162

Myhrvold et al. 163162

Female maturity

Average of sources4.1years

AnAge 1624.1

Myhrvold et al. 1634.1

Veterinary & husbandry research

Divergent personality structures of brown (Sapajus apella) and white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) Robinson LM et al., Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C.: 1983) 2016
Trichromacy increases fruit intake rates of wild capuchins (Cebus capucinus imitator) Melin AD et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2017
Object-use in free-ranging white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) in Costa Rica Panger MA et al., American journal of physical anthropology 1998
ZOO-FISH suggests a complete homology between human and capuchin monkey (Platyrrhini) euchromatin Richard F et al., Genomics 1996

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 15 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Federal restrictions apply

CDC primate import rule. Nonhuman primates can be imported only by CDC-registered importers for science, education or exhibition, never as pets. Most states also ban or tightly restrict pet primates. 188
CITES Appendix II. Appendix II: international trade needs CITES export permits. CITES doesn't restrict buying a captive-bred animal within the U.S.; keep your purchase records. 173 186
USDA Animal Welfare Act. Keeping a pet for yourself doesn't need a federal license. Dealers (including many breeders who sell wholesale or sight-unseen) and exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) generally need a USDA license and inspections; some small-scale breeders and retail sellers are exempt. 184

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Animal Welfare Act standards

Nonhuman primates (Subpart D). Applies to USDA-licensed or registered dealers, exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) and research facilities. Private pet owners are not covered. These are legal minimums, not best care; the species care on this page goes further.

Facilities must document and follow an environment enhancement plan for psychological well-being, directed by the attending veterinarian. §3.81
Social needs: species that live in groups in nature must have provision for social housing; individually housed primates must be able to see and hear their own or a compatible species. §3.81
Enrichment must let them express non-injurious species-typical behavior: perches, swings, objects to manipulate, varied food, foraging or task-oriented feeding, and interaction with familiar caregivers. §3.81
Special attention is required for infants and young juveniles, animals showing psychological distress, those used in research, great apes over 110 lb and individually housed animals. §3.81
Minimum enclosure space is set by the species' typical weight; perches and swings don't count toward it unless the space beneath can be comfortably used. §3.80

Source: 9 CFR Part 3, current eCFR text (USDA APHIS Animal Care).

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
Covered by one of our in-depth care sheets
129 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Cebus capucinus Zoo, university or veterinaryUniversity-hosted species account, mostly wild biology.
AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
CDC: Bringing an animal into the United States Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal rules on importing animals that can carry human disease.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
9 CFR 2.1: Animal Welfare Act licensing (USDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryWho needs a USDA license to breed, sell or exhibit animals.
Souvignet et al.: EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for Capuchin Monkeys (2019), accessible text mirror Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Schuler and Abee: Enrichment for Nonhuman Primates—Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri), NIH (2005) Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.