Distributions of Cebus capucinus (red)[2] and Cebus imitator (blue). C.capucinus is found in eastern Panama as well as South America.
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.[3]
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.[5] Some primatologists continue to consider the Panamanian and Colombian white-faced capuchins as a single species.[3] In 2012 a study by Boubli, et al demonstrated that C. imitator and C. capucinus split up to 2million years ago.[6][7] Although the Panamanian white-faced capuchin is the most well-studied capuchin monkey species, as of 2014, there had been no field studies of the Colombian white-faced capuchin.[7]
Two subspecies of Colombian white-faced capuchin are recognized:[3][8]
C. c. capucinus, from mainland South America and Panama
C. c. curtus, from the Pacific island of Gorgona, sometimes referred to as the Gorgona white-faced capuchin.
Like other monkeys in the genus Cebus, the Colombian white-faced capuchin is named after the order of Capuchin friars because the cowls of these friars closely resemble the monkey's head coloration.[9][10] The coloration is black on the body, tail, legs and the top of the head, with white chest, throat, face, shoulders and upper arms.[3] The head and body length is between 33 and 45 cm (13 and 18 in) with a tail length of between 35 and 55 cm (14 and 22 in).[3] Males weigh between 3 and 4 kg (6.6 and 8.8 lb), while females are about 27% smaller, weighing between 1.5 and 3 kg (3.3 and 6.6 lb).[3]C. c. curtus has a shorter tail.[8]
^ abRylands, A.; Groves, C.; Mittermeier, R.; Cortes-Ortiz, L. & Hines, J. (2006). "Taxonomy and Distributions of Mesoamerican Primates". In Estrada, A.; Garber, P.; Pavelka, M. & Luecke, L (eds.). New Perspectives in the Study of Mesoamerican Primates. New York: Springer. pp. 40–43. ISBN978-0-387-25854-6.
^ abcdefMittermeier, Russell A.; Rylands, Anthony B. (2013). Mittermeier, Russell A.; Rylands, Anthony B.; Wilson, Don E. (eds.). Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Volume 3, Primates. Lynx. pp. 412–413. ISBN978-8496553897.