Today we’re drawing a white-faced capuchin monkey. These new world monkeys live in South America and have a long and storied history stretching back millions of years.
Primates split from mammals about 60 million years ago right after the dinosaurs died off, starting out as tiny mouse-sized fossils. The new world monkeys came up about 40 million years ago, capuchins appeared around 20-25 million years ago, and the white-faced capuchin itself emerged about 5 million years ago.
What makes these monkeys fascinating is that they use tools like chimpanzees, even though they’re monkeys, not apes. You can tell the difference because apes don’t have tails and monkeys do. Also, a monkey’s chest points out away from the body like a dog’s, while an ape’s chest is flat and broad like a person’s.
But here’s where things get really weird. These monkeys have this bizarre ritual with giant millipedes. They’ll pick up a millipede, rub it all over their fur, and it makes them high. The millipedes release a defensive chemical, and the monkeys get stoned from it. It’s called anointing, and scientists believe it might also work as an insect repellent since the chemical keeps bugs away. These millipedes can be the size of frankfurters, about seven or eight inches long. I looked into keeping them as pets once, but they need specialized care, specific temperature and humidity conditions. Still, the idea of a monkey deliberately getting high off millipede juice is one of nature’s stranger pharmaceutical discoveries.
White-faced capuchins live about 25 years in the wild but can reach 50 in protected environments like zoos, as long as their social needs are met. Their intelligence both helps them survive and creates challenges, they need constant stimulation, play, and new things in their environment to stay happy.
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Also, if you, or a teacher friend, would like a 20-30 minute lesson plan about capuchin monkeys, feel free to download and share this one:
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