Tufted capuchin
Cebus apella
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CONSERVATION STATUS
CITES: Appendix II
(What is CITES?)
IUCN Red List: C. apella: LC
(What is Red List?)
Key: LC = Least concern
(Click on species name to see IUCN Red List entry, including detailed status assessment information.)
Photo: Roy Fontaine
Luckily, due to widespread occurrence, the tufted capuchin still maintains an
extensive distribution and habitat. As with other primates, the biggest threat
to the tufted capuchin is habitat loss and fragmentation. It is estimated that
more than a fifth of the entire Amazonian forest, the habitat of the tufted
capuchin, has been destroyed (Fragaszy et al. 2004). Reasons for destruction of
the forest are varied, but include logging, agriculture and flooding for
hydroelectric power generation (Fragaszy et al. 2004). It is estimated that the
minimum contiguous forest area required to sustain a group of tufted capuchins
is around 100 ha but ideally the minimum is 1000 ha (Gilbert & Setz 2001).
This area is likely larger in poorer soil areas of the central Amazon and the
minimum required habitat size in the central Amazonian
terra firma forests is
likely around 23000 ha (Spironello 2001). Recently, infrastructure development
and road building plans in the Amazon have further expanded the potential for
deforestation in some areas of the tufted capuchin range as access will increase
and economic development will expand (da Silva et al. 2005). A regional system
of protected areas is needed in Amazonia if unfettered development is to be
checked (da Silva et al. 2005).
The Margarita Island tufted capuchin, in addition to facing the same threats
as the mainland populations, has far fewer numbers and is critically endangered.
Recently, an additional threat to its numbers has been identified in escaped or
released pet wedge-capped capuchins (Cebus olivaceus) which have the potential
to establish feral populations which compete for the same resources as the
tufted capuchins (Martinez et al. 2000).
CONSERVATION THREATS
Threat: Harvesting (hunting/gathering)
Hunting for food and as a crop pest of the tufted capuchin is also a significant threat to its
numbers. Fragmentation of tufted capuchin habitat also serves to bring the species into further
contact with people causing crop-raiding conflict as well as facilitating hunting access
(Fragaszy et al. 2004). In one instance, a village of indigenous Brazilians killed and consumed
over two hundred tufted capuchins in under a year (Nascimento & Peres cited in Chapman &
Peres 2001).
LINKS TO MORE ABOUT CONSERVATION
CONSERVATION INFORMATION
CONSERVATION NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN Cebus apella CONSERVATION
Content last modified: April 17, 2009
Written by Kurt Gron. Reviewed by Gary Linn.
Cite this page as:
Gron KJ. 2009 April 17. Primate Factsheets: Tufted capuchin (Cebus apella) Conservation . <http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/tufted_capuchin/cons>. Accessed 2009 November 7.
