100 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 75 



Ateles geoffroyi 

 Geoffrey's Spider Monkey, Mono Colorado or Mono Arana 



Geoffroy's spider monkey is primarily a Central American species found from 

 southern Mexico through Central America to extreme northwestern Colombia 

 (Fig. 78). In Costa Rica, three subspecies currently are recognized, although the 

 group is in need of revision. Ateles geoffroyi omatus is the most widely distributed 

 subspecies in the country and is found in the eastern lowlands and central highlands; 

 A. g. frontatus is restricted to the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica and most of 

 Nicaragua; and A. g. panamensis is found in southwestern Costa Rica and much 

 of Panama. Spider monkeys are found from sea level to nearly 2,200 m in suitable 

 habitats, which are almost exclusively large tracts of undisturbed primary forest. 

 It is the most widely hunted primate in Costa Rica. 



We observed spider monkeys at 200 and 500 m within Parque Nacional Braulio 

 Carrillo and learned that park guards frequently saw them at lower elevations within 

 the park. There are probably at least two Ateles troops on the La Selva Biological 

 Reserve, and groups numbering up to 23 individuals have been reported there since 

 mammal records were begun in 1979. It is a commonly reported species at La Selva 

 and has been observed year round. Group sizes vary considerably, but tend to be 

 five or fewer. Lone animals are seen on occasion, and often these are males. Adults 

 with young have been observed from nearly every month of the year; one or two 

 infants may be seen in a troop. On one occasion, an adult male was seen traveling 

 with a troop of six Cebus, and on another occasion an adult of unknown sex was 

 with a troop of five Alouatta. A mixed group of two or three Ateles and five Cebus 

 was seen in March 1986. Spider monkeys were observed feeding on the fruits of 

 Dipteryx panamensis (Fabaceae) on 25 March 1986, seeds of Dussia (Fabaceae) 

 in August and July, fruits of Protium (Burseraceae) in February, and fruits of Den- 

 dropanax (Araliaceae) in September. Rafael Chavam'a informed Hartshorn (in litt.) 

 that the large troops of spider monkeys (15 to 30 individuals) broke up during the 

 day into smaller groups (2 to 5 individuals) for foraging. Spider monkeys were 

 rarely observed at La Selva during the early 1970's. 



Alston (1879-82:9) reported that spider monkeys were abundant in Costa Rica, 

 "being found in the mountains up to an elevation of from six to seven thousand 

 feet, as well as in the hot forests near the coast." The biology of spider monkeys 

 was reviewed recently by Eisenberg (1983). 



Cebus capucinus 



White-faced Monkey or White-faced Capuchin, Mono Cara Blanca 



White-faced capuchins are found from eastern Honduras and Nicaragua south 

 through Costa Rica to northwestern Colombia and Venezuela (Fig. 79). A single 

 subspecies, Cebus capucinus imitator, is found in Costa Rica from sea level to 

 3,000 m. This species is adapted to a variety of habitat types and, although it is 

 legally protected in Costa Rica, as are the other species of monkeys, it is not en- 

 dangered. The biology of white-faced monkeys in Costa Rica recently was reviewed 

 by Freese (1983). We have the general impression that all three species of primates 



