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

• Capuchin monkeys (Representative Image/ Canva)For most people, monkeys are closely associated with fruit, leaves and insects.
• But when their preferred plant foods become harder to find, some capuchin monkeys appear willing to switch strategies.
• They hunt and eat small vertebrates, including mammals and reptiles, turning to animal prey as an important source of energy when fruit availability falls.