List of Central American monkey species

At least seven monkey species are native to Central America. An eighth species, the Coiba Island howler (Alouatta coibensis) is often recognized, but some authorities treat it as a subspecies of the mantled howler, (A. palliata). A ninth species, the black-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps) is also often recognized, but some authorities regard it as a subspecies of Geoffroy's spider monkey (A. geoffroyi). In addition, two species of white-faced capuchin monkey have been generally recognized since the 2010s although some primatologists consider these to be a single species. Taxonomically, all Central American monkey species are classified as New World monkeys, and they belong to four families. Five species belong to the family Atelidae, which includes the howler monkeys, spider monkeys, woolly monkeys and muriquis. Three species belong to the family Cebidae, the family that includes the capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys. One species each belongs to the night monkey family, Aotidae, and the tamarin and marmoset family, Callitrichidae.

Geoffroy's spider monkey is the only monkey found in all seven Central American countries, and it is also found in Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. Other species that have a widespread distribution throughout Central America are the mantled howler, which is found in five Central American countries, and the Panamanian white-faced capuchin (Cebus imitator), which is found in four Central American countries. The Coiba Island howler, the black-headed spider monkey, the Panamanian night monkey (Aotus zonalis), the Colombian white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus) and Geoffroy's tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi) are each found in only one Central American country, Panama. The Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) also has a restricted distribution, living only on part of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and a small portion of Panama. El Salvador is the Central American country with the fewest monkey species, as only Geoffroy's spider monkey lives there. Panama has the most species, nine, as the only Central American monkey species that does not include Panama within its range is the Yucatán black howler (Alouatta pigra).

Geoffroy's tamarin is the smallest Central American monkey, with an average size of about 0.5 kg. The Central American squirrel monkey and Panamanian night monkey are almost as small, with average sizes of less than 1.0 kg. The Yucatán black howler has the largest males, which average over 11 kg. The spider monkey species have the next largest males, which average over 8 kg.

One Central American monkey, the black-headed spider monkey, is considered to be critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Geoffroy's spider monkey and the Yucatán black howler are both considered to be endangered. The Central American squirrel monkey had been considered endangered, but its conservation status was upgraded to vulnerable in 2008. The Coiba Island howler is also considered to be vulnerable. The white-faced capuchins, the mantled howler and Geoffroy's tamarin are all considered to be of least concern from a conservation standpoint.

Monkey watching is a popular tourist activity in parts of Central America. Corcovado National Park is the only park in Costa Rica in which all the country's four monkey species can be seen. The more accessible Manuel Antonio National Park is the only other park in Costa Rica in which the Central American squirrel monkey is found, and the Panamanian white-faced capuchin and mantled howler are also commonly seen there. Within Panama, areas to view monkeys include Darién National Park, Soberanía National Park and a number of islands on Gatun Lake including Barro Colorado Island. In addition, Geoffroy's tamarin can be seen in Metropolitan Natural Park within Panama City. In Belize, the easily explored Community Baboon Sanctuary was established specifically for the preservation of the Yucatán black howler and now contains more than 1000 monkeys.

Key

Species

Latin name	Common name	Family	Average size - male	Average size - female	Conservation status	Range	References	*Alouatta coibensis*	*Alouatta palliata*	*Alouatta pigra*	*Aotus zonalis*	*Ateles fusciceps*	*Ateles geoffroyi*	*Cebus capucinus*	*Cebus imitator*	*Saguinus geoffroyi*	*Saimiri oerstedii*
Coiba Island howler	Atelidae				Panama	author=Méndez-Carvajal, P.G.	author2=Cuarón, A.D.	author3=Shedden, A.	author4=Rodriguez-Luna, E.	author5=de Grammont, P.C.	author6=Link, A.	date=2021	title=*Alouatta palliata* ssp. *coibensis*	volume=2021	article-number=e.T43899A195441006	doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T43899A195441006.en	access-date=11 November 2021}}
Mantled howler	Atelidae				Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, *Colombia*, *Ecuador*, *Mexico*	author=Cortes-Ortíz, L.	author2=Rosales-Meda, M.	author3=Williams-Guillén, K.	author4=Solano-Rojas, D.	author5=Méndez-Carvajal, P.G.	author6=de la Torre, S.	author7=Moscoso, P.	author8=Rodríguez, V.	author9=Palacios, E.	author10=Canales-Espinosa, D.	author11=Link, A.	author12=Guzman-Caro, D.	author13=Cornejo, F.M.	date=2021	title=*Alouatta palliata*	volume=2021	article-number=e.T39960A190425583	doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T39960A190425583.en	access-date=11 November 2021}}
Yucatán black howler	Atelidae				Belize, Guatemala, *Mexico*	author = Marsh, L.K.	author2 = Cuarón, A.D.	author3 = Cortés-Ortiz, L.	author4 = Shedden, A.	author5 = Rodríguez-Luna, E.	author6 = de Grammont, P.C.	name-list-style = amp	title = *Alouatta pigra*	volume = 2008	article-number = e.T914A13094441	date = 2008	doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T914A13094441.en }}
Panamanian night monkey	Aotidae				Panama, *Colombia*	author = Cuarón, A.D.	author2 = Palacios, E.	author3 = Morales, A.	author4 = Shedden, A.	author5 = Rodriguez-Luna, E.	author6 = de Grammont, P.C.	name-list-style = amp	title = *Aotus zonalis*	volume = 2008	article-number = e.T39953A10297100	date = 2008	doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T39953A10297100.en }}
Black-headed spider monkey	Atelidae				Panama, *Colombia*, *Ecuador*	author = Cuarón, A.D.	author2 = Shedden, A.	author3 = Rodríguez-Luna, E.	author4 = de Grammont, P.C.	author5 = Link, A.	name-list-style = amp	title = *Ateles fusciceps*	volume = 2008	article-number = e.T135446A4129010	date = 2008	doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135446A4129010.en }}
Geoffroy's spider monkey	Atelidae				Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, *Colombia*, *Mexico*	author = Cuarón, A.D.	author2 = Morales, A.	author3 = Shedden, A.	author4 = Rodriguez-Luna, E.	author5 = de Grammont, P.C.	author6 = Cortés-Ortiz, L.	name-list-style = amp	title = *Ateles geoffroyi*	volume = 2008	article-number = e.T2279A9387270	date = 2008	doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T2279A9387270.en }}
Colombian white-faced capuchin	Cebidae				Panama, *Colombia*, *Ecuador*	author=de la Torre, S.	author2=Moscoso, P.	author3=Méndez-Carvajal, P.G.	author4=Rosales-Meda, M.	author5=Palacios, E.	author6=Link, A.	author7=Lynch Alfaro, J.W.	author8=Mittermeier, R.A.	date=2021	title=*Cebus capucinus*	volume=2021	article-number=e.T81257277A191708164	doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T81257277A191708164.en	access-date=11 November 2021}}
Panamanian white-faced capuchin	Cebidae				Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Geoffroy's tamarin	Callitrichidae				Panama, *Colombia*	author = Marsh, L.K.	author2 = Cuarón, A.D.	author3 = de Grammont, P.C.	name-list-style = amp	title = *Saguinus geoffroyi*	volume = 2008	article-number = e.T41522A10488675	date = 2008	doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T41522A10488675.en }}
Central American squirrel monkey	Cebidae				Costa Rica, Panama	author = Wong, G.	author2 = Cuarón, A.D.	author3 = Rodriguez-Luna, E.	author4 = de Grammont, P.C.	name-list-style = amp	title = *Saimiri oerstedii*	volume = 2008	article-number = e.T19836A9022609	date = 2008	doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T19836A9022609.en }}