News Animals

Monkeys hunt small animals when fruit is scarce

Capuchin monkeys may provide insights into the dietary evolution of our early ancestors

A Bearded capuchin monkey (Sapajus libidinosus) runs on all fours across leafy ground

Bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) (shown) in Brazil are more in the mood for meat as access to fruit decreases.

Sharp Photography/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

By Jake Buehler

When the fruit runs low, some monkeys’ appetite for meat gets a boost. 

Bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) hunt and eat small vertebrates more often when fruits are less abundant.