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Extraction of hermit crabs from their shells by white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus)

Primates volume 58, pages 25–29 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

We observed two capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) feeding on hermit crabs (Coenobita compressus) on the coast, and the tactics they used to extract this well-protected prey. The observations took place during the dry season at Playa Escondida beach, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The capuchins descended from trees at the back edge of the beach to capture passing hermit crabs. Both capuchins extracted the hermit crabs from their protective shells by holding the shell with one hand and pulling the crab out with the other. Even though this was accomplished within seconds, the extraction of hermit crabs from their shells did not appear to be a straightforward task. Once the capuchins succeeded in pulling the crabs out of their shells, they consumed the soft abdomen and discarded the rest of the crab's body. To our knowledge, the consumption of hermit crabs has not been previously reported for any capuchin monkey (Cebus or Sapajus). Our observations provide a new example of extractive foraging by capuchins, and thus an additional natural context for which fine motor skills (which are highly developed in capuchins) are necessary.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank José Manuel Agüero and his family for their hospitality in Playa Escondida. Rita Vargas kindly identified the hermit crabs, and Mark Wainwright provided valuable suggestions to a previous version of the manuscript. We would like to dedicate this small contribution to Arnoldo Soley Soler, since we were celebrating his 70th birthday at the time the observations were made.

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Affiliations

  1. Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, 11501-2060, San Pedro, Costa Rica

    Fernando G. Soley & Mariano Soley-Guardia

  2. Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, 1350-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica

    Iria S. Chacón

Authors
  1. Fernando G. Soley
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  2. Iria S. Chacón
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  3. Mariano Soley-Guardia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando G. Soley.

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Soley, F.G., Chacón, I.S. & Soley-Guardia, M. Extraction of hermit crabs from their shells by white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus). Primates 58, 25–29 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-016-0576-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-016-0576-5

Keywords

  • Primates
  • Diet
  • Embedded food
  • Dexterous manipulation
  • Costa Rica
  • Coastal habitat