BEHAVIOURAL DESCRIPTION OF Sapajus nigritus (GOLDFUSS, 1809) IN CAPTIVITY

The maintenance of animals in captivity is one of the many ways of species preservation allowing studies that are often prevented by the inability to follow in natural conditions. Primate’s behavior studies are supply tools for the development of conservation and management strategies. Therefore, this research aimed at describing behavior patterns of a group of capuchin monkey, Sapajus nigritus, in captivity at Centro de Biodiversidade da Usipa, MG, Brazil. The Scan Sample was used with five minutes intervals. Ad libitum and Focal Animal were the complementary sampling. Twenty-three behavioral categories were recorded; which is considered average when compared to other ethograms. The behavioral class with greater prominence was foraging. However the different categories of behavior suggest a complex capacity of intra-specific interaction. The information serves as basic tools for the formulation of conservation strategies, management and comprehension of ecological interactions.