Central American Squirrel Monkey
Central American Squirrel MonkeyCentral American Squirrel MonkeyCentral American Squirrel MonkeyCentral American Squirrel Monkey

Central American Squirrel Monkey

Saimiri oerstedii

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Corcovado National Park
219 Verified records at Corcovado National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), also known as the red-backed squirrel monkey, is a squirrel monkey species from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama. It is restricted to the northwestern tip of Panama near the border with Costa Rica, and the central and southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, primarily in Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Parks. It is a small monkey with an orange back and a distinctive white and black facial mask. It has an omnivorous diet, eating fruits, other plant materials, invertebrates and some small vertebrates. In turn, it has a number of predators, including raptors, cats and snakes. It lives in large groups that typically contain between 20 and 75 monkeys. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Central American Squirrel Monkey sighting in Corcovado National Park, based on 219 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Corcovado National Park

Central American White-faced Capuchin
VU

Central American White-faced Capuchin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cebus imitator

40–50% · Likely
Central American Spider Monkey
EN

Central American Spider Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ateles geoffroyi

50–60% · Likely
Mantled Howler Monkey
VU

Mantled Howler Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Alouatta palliata

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

40–50
Jan
30–40
Feb
40–50
Mar
50–60
Apr
60–70
May
50–60
Jun
50–60
Jul
50–60
Aug
50–60
Sep
20–30
Oct
40–50
Nov
50–60
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
60–70%
2 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
40–50%
3 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
4 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
5–10%
5 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
6 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
7 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
8 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
9 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Central American Squirrel Monkey in Corcovado National Park?

About 49% of wildlife watchers report a Central American Squirrel Monkey sighting in Corcovado National Park, based on 219 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Central American Squirrel Monkey in Corcovado National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Central American Squirrel Monkey in Corcovado National Park in our monthly data.

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