Predation on two brown-eared woolly opossums (Caluromys lanatus) by a group of large-headed capuchin monkeys (Sapajus macrocephalus) and notes on their hierarchical feeding behaviour

Renato Walter Colan-Rodriguez; Carolina M. Herrera-Huayhua; Jackeline Aida Mendoza-Soto; Criss Quispe-Saenz; G. Milagros Reyes-Lizarraga; Luis Antonio Echevarria-Macassi; Maxime Chauveau

doi:10.62015/np.2023.v29.819

Authors

Renato Walter Colan-Rodriguez Crees Foundation For Manu, Fundo Mascoitiana S/N, Madre de Dios, Peru.
Carolina M. Herrera-Huayhua Crees Foundation For Manu, Fundo Mascoitiana S/N, Madre de Dios, Peru.
Jackeline Aida Mendoza-Soto Crees Foundation For Manu, Fundo Mascoitiana S/N, Madre de Dios, Peru.
Criss Quispe-Saenz Crees Foundation For Manu, Fundo Mascoitiana S/N, Madre de Dios, Peru.
G. Milagros Reyes-Lizarraga Crees Foundation For Manu, Fundo Mascoitiana S/N, Madre de Dios, Peru.
Luis Antonio Echevarria-Macassi Crees Foundation For Manu, Fundo Mascoitiana S/N, Madre de Dios, Peru.
Maxime Chauveau Crees Foundation For Manu, Fundo Mascoitiana S/N, Madre de Dios, Peru.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62015/np.2023.v29.819

Keywords:

Diet, opportunistic predation, Neotropical primates, Peruvian Amazon, Manu Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

The large-headed capuchin monkey (Sapajus macrocephalus) is a generalist omnivore known for its dietary flexibility and opportunistic feeding strategies. In September 2022, at the Manu Learning Centre Biological Station in southeast Peru, a group of seven monkeys was observed preying on two brown-eared woolly opossums (Caluromys lanatus). The feeding followed a hierarchical order, with the alpha male and a female with an infant feeding first, followed by a juvenile. There was no aggressive behaviour towards juveniles, suggesting adults may facilitate their feeding. This observation adds a new prey item to the capuchin’s diet and highlights their diverse dietary habits.

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