Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when plant foods are scarce, study finds
Research in Brazil observed the primates targeting lizards and rodents, with males hunting more often than females.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when plant foods are scarce, study finds
Photograph: Phys.org (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Capuchin monkeys hunt small animals, including lizards and rodents, when plant foods are less accessible.
- Male capuchin monkeys hunt prey more often and target more dangerous animals than females.
- The monkeys prioritise fat-dense tissues, preferring the brains and guts of their prey.
- The findings, from research in Brazil, may offer insights into the predatory habits of early human ancestors.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 50 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 6 of the 56 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
50/100
Craft
60/100
Hype
20/100
56 sources · methodology
Bearded capuchin monkeys hunt small animals when plant foods are scarce, according to research published in the journal PLOS One. The study observed two groups of these monkeys in Fazenda Boa Vista, Brazil, between 2006 and 2010. Researchers documented 446 instances of the monkeys eating small animals, primarily lizards and rodents. The findings suggest this behaviour may mirror habits of early human ancestors.
Male capuchin monkeys were observed hunting prey more frequently and targeting more dangerous animals, such as snakes, compared to females. The monkeys tended to prefer the brains and guts of their prey, prioritising fat-dense tissues. The frequency of hunting increased when plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, were less accessible.
Coverage comparison
The study was conducted by researchers from Sapienza University of Rome and Gorongosa National Park. It was published in PLOS One. The research observed two groups of bearded capuchins in Fazenda Boa Vista, Brazil, between 2006 and 2010.
Omissions
None of the right-rated digests mention that the monkeys tend to prefer the brains and guts of prey, prioritising fat-dense tissues. None of the centre-rated digests mention that the monkeys tend to prefer the brains and guts of prey, prioritising fat-dense tissues. None of the left-rated digests mention that the monkeys tend to prefer the brains and guts of prey, prioritising fat-dense tissues.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 7 times, most recently on 28 Aug 2026, 17:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
6 rated outlets
- Six left-rated reports mentioned that male capuchin monkeys hunt prey more often and go after more dangerous prey such as snakes. These reports included the Watauga Democrat, El Paso Inc., Daily Post-Athenian, The Laconia Daily Sun, Fairfield Sun Times, and ashepostandtimes.com. The El Paso Inc. and Fairfield Sun Times digests also noted that the monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit is scarce.
Centre
29 rated outlets
- Nine centre-rated reports highlighted that male capuchin monkeys hunt prey more often and go after more dangerous prey such as snakes. These outlets included Phys.org, studyfinds.com, KULR-TV, ABC FOX Montana, KTEN, InsideNoVA.com, Columbia Gorge News, and Floyd Chronicle & Times. The Phys.org full report stated that the monkeys hunt prey when fruits and vegetables become scarce, potentially mirroring the habits of human ancestors. It also noted that males hunted more often and went after more dangerous prey like snakes.
Right
15 rated outlets
- Seven right-rated reports mentioned that male capuchin monkeys hunt prey more often and go after more dangerous prey such as snakes. These outlets were Times of India, The Herald Palladium, The Elkhart Truth, Webster County Citizen, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, The Mountain Press, and The Sanford Herald. The Times of India digest noted that adult males were observed hunting vertebrates more often.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when plant foods are scarce, study finds?
- Of the 50 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 13% are rated left, 56% are rated centre, 31% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 56. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when plant foods are scarce, study finds left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 50 rated outlets on this story, 13% are rated left, 56% are rated centre, 31% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when plant foods are scarce, study finds biased?
- Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when plant foods are scarce, study finds is one event reported by 56 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Capuchin monkeys hunt prey when plant foods are scarce, study finds?
- 56 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What do capuchin monkeys eat when plant foods are scarce?
- When fruits and vegetables are scarce, capuchin monkeys hunt and eat small animals, primarily lizards and rodents. They tend to prefer the fat-dense brains and guts of their prey.
- Do male and female capuchin monkeys hunt differently?
- Yes, male capuchin monkeys hunt prey more often and target more dangerous animals, such as snakes, compared to females. This difference was observed during research in Brazil.
- Where was the study on capuchin monkey hunting conducted?
- The study was conducted in Fazenda Boa Vista, Brazil, observing two groups of bearded capuchin monkeys between 2006 and 2010. The research was published in the journal PLOS One.
Read it at the source
56 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
6- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens ashepostandtimes.com in a new tab)
ashepostandtimes.com — is ashepostandtimes.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Fairfield Sun Times in a new tab)
Fairfield Sun Times — is Fairfield Sun Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Laconia Daily Sun in a new tab)
The Laconia Daily Sun — is The Laconia Daily Sun biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Daily Post-Athenian in a new tab)
Daily Post-Athenian — is Daily Post-Athenian biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens El Paso Inc. in a new tab)
El Paso Inc. — is El Paso Inc. biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Watauga Democrat in a new tab)
Watauga Democrat — is Watauga Democrat biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
29- When fruits and veggies are scarce, monkeys hunt for meat (opens Eurek Alert in a new tab)
Eurek Alert — is Eurek Alert biased? Our profile of this outlet
- When Fruit Is Scarce, These Monkeys Hunt Animals. The Behavior May Offer Clues About the Origins of Humans' Meat-Eating Habits (opens Smithsonian Mag in a new tab)
Smithsonian Mag — is Smithsonian Mag biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Free Food Made These Monkeys Nearly Quit Hunting, What It Says About Humans (opens studyfinds.com in a new tab)
studyfinds.com — is studyfinds.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens charitonleader.com in a new tab)
charitonleader.com — is charitonleader.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Penn in a new tab)
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens stonecountyenterprise.com in a new tab)
stonecountyenterprise.com — is stonecountyenterprise.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Ashley County Ledger in a new tab)
Ashley County Ledger — is Ashley County Ledger biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens iosconews.com in a new tab)
iosconews.com — is iosconews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 21 more
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens KTBS in a new tab)
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Guam Daily Post in a new tab)
The Guam Daily Post — is The Guam Daily Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Delaware Business Now in a new tab)
Delaware Business Now — is Delaware Business Now biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Purdue Exponent in a new tab)
Purdue Exponent — is Purdue Exponent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens hazard-herald.com in a new tab)
hazard-herald.com — is hazard-herald.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Conway Daily Sun in a new tab)
The Conway Daily Sun — is The Conway Daily Sun biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens News-Graphic.com in a new tab)
News-Graphic.com — is News-Graphic.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Tioga Publishing in a new tab)
Tioga Publishing — is Tioga Publishing biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Leader Publications in a new tab)
Leader Publications — is Leader Publications biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Idaho County Free Press in a new tab)
Idaho County Free Press — is Idaho County Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens KPVI in a new tab)
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Floyd Chronicle & Times in a new tab)
Floyd Chronicle & Times — is Floyd Chronicle & Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Columbia Gorge News in a new tab)
Columbia Gorge News — is Columbia Gorge News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens InsideNoVA.com in a new tab)
InsideNoVA.com — is InsideNoVA.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens KTEN in a new tab)
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens ABC FOX Montana in a new tab)
ABC FOX Montana — is ABC FOX Montana biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens KULR-TV in a new tab)
- Capuchin Monkeys Hunt Small Vertebrates When Fruit Runs Low, Eating Brains and Organs First (opens Discover Magazine in a new tab)
Discover Magazine — is Discover Magazine biased? Our profile of this outlet
- These monkeys turn into meat-eaters when plants are scarce. There’s something very human about it, says scientists (opens Discover Wildlife in a new tab)
Discover Wildlife — is Discover Wildlife biased? Our profile of this outlet
- When fruits and veggies are scarce, monkeys hunt for meat (opens Phys.org in a new tab)
- Monkeys hunt small animals when fruit is scarce (opens Science News in a new tab)
Science News — is Science News biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
15- Scientists watched wild capuchin monkeys for 45 months and recorded around 280 vertebrate-eating events; when fruit became scarce, the monkeys increasingly turned to lizards, snakes and other animals for food (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Daily Herald in a new tab)
The Daily Herald — is The Daily Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Griffin Daily News in a new tab)
Griffin Daily News — is Griffin Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Mountain Democrat in a new tab)
Mountain Democrat — is Mountain Democrat biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Rochester Sentinel in a new tab)
Rochester Sentinel — is Rochester Sentinel biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Messenger in a new tab)
The Messenger — is The Messenger biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Shelby News in a new tab)
Shelby News — is Shelby News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Chronicle-Tribune in a new tab)
Chronicle-Tribune — is Chronicle-Tribune biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 7 more
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Sanford Herald in a new tab)
The Sanford Herald — is The Sanford Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Mountain Press in a new tab)
The Mountain Press — is The Mountain Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer in a new tab)
Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer — is Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Webster County Citizen in a new tab)
Webster County Citizen — is Webster County Citizen biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Elkhart Truth in a new tab)
The Elkhart Truth — is The Elkhart Truth biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens The Herald Palladium in a new tab)
The Herald Palladium — is The Herald Palladium biased? Our profile of this outlet
- [SciTech+] Monkeys as Clues to Human Carnivory?… "Hunted Small Animals When Fruit Was Scarce" (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
6- Scientists watched wild capuchin monkeys for 45 months and recorded around 280 vertebrate-eating events; when fruit became scarce, the monkeys increasingly turned to lizards, snakes and other animals for food - THE LOCAL REPORT ARTICLES (opens Thelocalreport.in in a new tab)
Thelocalreport.in — is Thelocalreport.in biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens griffonnews.com in a new tab)
griffonnews.com — is griffonnews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Monkeys hunt animals like lizards and snakes when fruit scarce (opens Sunnyside Sun in a new tab)
Sunnyside Sun — is Sunnyside Sun biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Capuchin Monkeys Already Hunt Other Animals when Fruits Are Scarce Just Like the First Human Ancestors (opens La Brújula Verde in a new tab)
La Brújula Verde — is La Brújula Verde biased? Our profile of this outlet
- When Fruits and Vegetables Are Scarce, Monkeys Hunt Prey and Feed on the Meat. (opens Publico in a new tab)
- Monkeys Hunt Small Animals when Fruit Is Scarce (opens Issuesfr in a new tab)
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