Monkeys of Costa Rica

The most common of the four monkey species is the howler monkey. You will definitely see and hear this monkey on your Costa Rica trip.

Howler monkeys, also known as Alouatta, live in Central and South America and grow to between 25-35 inches in length. Their tail is about the same length and they use it as a fifth hand. The tail is so strong that the animals are able to catch themselves after jumping from branch to branch with just the tail. The animals can weigh up to 22 lb and as light as 8 lb. The difference in weight between the sexes is particularly striking: the male monkeys are much heavier than the females. Their fur is very rough and can range in color from tawny to red to black. 

Howler monkeys belong to the primate genus. They live in groups, which usually house between five and twenty animals and which is determined by a strict hierarchy. Howler monkeys feed mainly on leaves and to a small extent on fruits and flowers.

As their name suggests, howler monkeys are capable of making extremely loud noises in the form of roars that can be heard for miles. The main reason for making these sounds is communication. In this way, different groups are able to make it clear to each other where they are and where they live. With this kind of exchange, they save valuable energy that they would otherwise use up in a fight. Another reason for roaring can come from individual animals trying to join a group. This roar is most commonly heard in the early morning.

If you are in places like Tortuguero or Corcovado, you can definitely be “thrown” out of bed by this form of communication. If it sounds a bit threatening at first, don’t worry, you quickly get used to it being right in the middle of the jungle and the animal world.

Howler monkeys are among the loudest animals in the jungle in Costa Rica but these animals are actually very quiet residents and, apart from the calls, rest about 80% of the day. However, you should not get too close to these animals. If they feel threatened they throw their own droppings at the apparent danger.

Capuchin monkeys (Latin: Cebinae) live in rainforests as well as in dry deciduous mangrove and mountain forests of the American continent. Like the spider and howler monkeys, they belong to the primate genus and New World monkeys which can be divided into up to 20 species. In captivity they can live up to 50 years old, however, in the wild they typically live up to 25 years old. They are about 12-22 in long (plus the length of their tail, which is also about 12-22 in) and weigh only 6-8 lbs. In this species of monkey (similar to howler monkeys), the female is considerably smaller and lighter than the male, weighing only 4-6 lbs. 

Capuchin monkeys owe their name to the striking color of their fur which looks similar to the Capuchin monk. The fur is usually dark brown tones and the arms, legs and tail are black. The coloration can vary depending on sex and specific species. The chest and shoulders often stand out from the rest of the body. 

White-faced or white-shouldered capuchin monkeys are particularly common in Costa Rica and encountering them is an experience that is almost impossible to avoid given their widespread distribution. They live in groups of about 10-30 animals at altitudes of up to 2,000 meters. The animals feed on fruits and insects but can also steal biscuits or other delicacies from people. 

This completely trusting behavior can be found in Manuel Antonio National Park in particular.  It is best not to leave any bags, because they are gone faster than you can see. Due to the many tourists who enter the monkeys’ lives every day, it is quite possible that they sometimes react aggressively.

The much more relaxed animals live in Palo Verde National Park and other places. Here it is more challenging to catch glimpses of the intelligent animals but you can see them enjoying their lives mostly undisturbed by tourists. The capuchin monkeys particularly like to shimmy along mango trees, look for food or relax hanging upside down by their tails. The monkeys can also be found in Corcovado and Santa Rosa. 

Unfortunately, the illegal trade in these clever animals has increased again in recent years and environmentalists are increasingly trying to take action against it.

Spider monkeys, also known as Geoffroy’s spider monkeys, are found exclusively in Central America. Their range extends from southern Mexico to eastern Panama. The spider monkeys live mainly in rain and mountain forests or in mountain forests that have existed for a long time and the tree population is therefore relatively “old”.

The female Geoffroy’s spider monkeys weigh up to 20 lb while the males weigh almost the same but are slightly lighter. This is the opposite in of the howler monkeys where the males are significantly heavier. Thus, males and females hardly differ from each other. The head-body length and tail length are also very similar and do not show any major differences. 

Characteristics of the Geoffroy’s spider monkeys are their extremely long limbs and tails. The tail is used for locomotion in order to skilfully swing from tree to tree. The diurnal animals feed mainly on fruits, seeds, buds or leaves. Smaller animals also belong to the prey of the spider monkeys.

Spider monkeys usually live in a group of 30 to 100 animals. In such a large group, they communicate, similar to howler monkeys, by loud roars and screeches. Despite everything, they are not so easy to spot and you have to keep an eye out for them and be very careful. Our Costa Rican tour guides on the group travels are very well trained and if spider monkeys are around, you can usually hear the shy animals from afar. Then there is a relatively high chance that the tour guide can bring the group closer to the monkeys so that you can observe the monkeys. Costa Rica travelers have the best chance of spotting spider monkeys in less visited national parks such as the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge .

The squirrel monkey belongs to the ‘Capuchin’ family and is extremely small and agile. Without the tail, they measure just 9-14 in plus the 18 in long tail, which is significantly longer than the entire body. Adult animals reach a maximum weight of 2.5 lbs although there are differences between males and females. The females are slightly lighter (about 1.5 lbs). The monkeys have relatively light-colored fur, with a slight tinge of orange on the back and legs. Their head is black, with the eye area and ears almost white.

Squirrel monkeys are widespread in Central and South America. They mainly stay here in flooded riverine forests and secondary forests. They can usually be observed in the middle tree regions, as they neither like to move on the forest floor nor in the highest treetops. They feel particularly comfortable in forest areas with sufficient water points. The diurnal animals are usually found in large groups. In such a group, males and females live together with their young. Such families are usually 50 animals strong, but now and then there are also groups with up to 300 monkeys. 

There is a strict hierarchy built around females so the squirrel monkeys do not constantly fight in such a large group. The males tend to stay at the edge of the group. To recognize each other they spread their urine on their fur. They can then tell by smell who belongs to them and who doesn’t. Because it is very important for squirrel monkeys to belong to a family, they look out for each other and warn each other when an enemy is approaching. In contrast to other Old World monkeys, the small monkeys groom themselves and mutual grooming is unknown to them. Unlike other monkey species they cannot hold on to branches with their long tails because they are only used for balance. Despite all this, squirrel monkeys are perfect climbers. They shimmy skillfully from branch to branch and can even glide silently through the trees. But most of the time you can spot them by their loud calls.

The little monkeys are extremely curious and become trusting relatively quickly as soon as they realize that there is no danger. They also quickly lose their initial shyness towards people. You will notice that quickly when you are out and about in the rainforest. It may well be that the monkeys don’t want to be photographed right now and just throw nuts or something similar at the travelers. 

After three to five years, the squirrel monkeys become sexually mature. But only the highest-ranking males are allowed to mate, or the males who have gained the most weight (sometimes up to 20%). After a gestation period of approximately 160 days, the young are born. An interesting phenomenon can be observed here, because all mothers give birth to their offspring at the same time in order to increase their chances of life, and in addition, all mother animals take care of each other’s offspring. The baby monkeys then weigh just 2.5 to 5 oz, which is a lot for the already light monkeys. The young animals then cling to the mother’s fur for a few weeks until they dare to jump a few times in the tree themselves. The young are suckled until they are six months old then they eat fruits, buds and insects, as well as spiders and frogs. Squirrel monkeys can live up to 20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.

As with all primates, i.e. apes and humans, the brain makes up a large part of their body weight. In the case of the squirrel monkeys, this weight is relatively greatest, namely 1/17. For us humans it is only 1/35. This doesn’t necessarily make them smarter than other monkeys, but it does allow them to spot fast movements more accurately and even have the ability to catch birds in flight. The little monkeys are always on guard. There are always a few “guardians” who keep a close eye on the surroundings. If they spot an enemy, they immediately sound the alarm. And there are many of these enemies such as big cats like the ocelot or jaguar, snakes, eagles and many more. 

Man can also be an enemy. In some areas of South America they are hunted by indigenous peoples and in western countries they are often kept in laboratories for medical experiments. In addition, the habitat of the monkeys is increasingly threatened by slash and burn and the associated decline in the rainforest. The Central American and the dark squirrel monkey in particular have been classified as endangered by the IUCN.