# Where Do Capuchin Monkeys Live?

> Where capuchin monkeys live: Tropical forests of Central America and northwest South America, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** Capuchin Monkey (*Cebus capucinus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore — fruit, insects, small vertebrates, and nuts
- **Habitat:** Tropical forests of Central America and northwest South America
- **Lifespan:** 20–25 years in the wild (longer in captivity)
- **Top speed:** Up to 24 km/h (15 mph) in trees
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/capuchin/where-do-capuchin-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/capuchin/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The capuchin is a small, highly intelligent New World monkey found in the tropical forests of Central America and northwest South America. Weighing about 3 to 4 kg and measuring roughly half a metre in body length, it is an agile tree-dweller that uses its prehensile tail for balance. Capuchins are famous for their problem-solving and use of simple tools, and they can live for 20 to 25 years in the wild. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Range and habitat

White-faced capuchins live across the tropical forests of Central America and the north-western fringe of South America, from Honduras down to Colombia and Ecuador. They occupy a wide variety of woodland, from lowland rainforest to dry and mangrove forest, and are highly adaptable. Most of their lives are spent in the canopy and mid-levels of the forest, though they will descend to lower branches and occasionally the ground to forage. This flexibility has helped keep them widespread and common across their range.

## Help protect the Capuchin Monkey

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/capuchin/where-do-capuchin-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.