Are you monkey tough?

Costa Rica is a hostile place. And one monkey is ready for it. The Panamanian white-faced capuchin is the most common monkey in Costa Rica. It's a generalist compared to howler, spider and squirrel monkeys. And they are tough as tough gets, living alongside crocodiles, jaguars and people.

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A capuchin forages in the rain. If you live in a place where it rains all day, you can't be fussy about getting wet. 

A monkey sticks out its tongue. These clever little monkeys carry rocks to big boulders or logs that they use like an anvil to hammer open hard nuts or the tough shells of crabs. That takes forethought and planning.

And they are just as devious when it comes to daylight robberies of outdoor cafes, where they are known to steal sugar packets and food off tables. The outdoor decks at the edge of the rainforest provide an easy target for table heists and quick getaways before the wait staff notices.

Don't let that adorable face fool you. Capuchins aren't always friendly. On my hikes, capuchins often tried to drop branches on my head, threw figs — and peed. So much pee. 

A disfigured male monkey shows battle scars from fights with other capuchins. Monkeys regularly wage brutal warfare with other troops. The fights can be deadly.

Dextrous hands catch moths on the fly in the tree canopy. 

A baby monkey works to strip fruit from a fig. Look how it's sitting to avoid those thorns! I wouldn't last four hours as a monkey.

A baby capuchin rides on its mother's back while she forages on the Pacific coast. All members of the troop take turns babysitting. They are all doting caregivers to the babies.

Young capuchins play together. These are probably half-siblings.

A capuchin makes a meal off a half-finished coconut discarded on the beach.

A capuchin grooms the big male troop leader. Social bonds are strong in monkey society. They depend on each other for everything.

After days of rain, a monkey seems to relish the dry, cool wind blowing in from the Pacific Ocean. The troop chose this shady spot for an afternoon nap.

Monkeys liked this enormous nonnative bamboo tree because its hollow limbs harbored lots of insect larvae. They spent lots of time trying to snap off branches.

Capuchins are adept climbers but spend a lot of time on the forest floor as well. Like spider monkeys, they make acrobatic leaps from tree to tree.

A juvenile monkey sucks on a fig while foraging in the treetops.