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The landscape of Fazenda Boa Vista (Piauí), an ecotone between the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes in the North-East of Brazil.

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian habitat type, after the Amazonian rainforest. It is one of the richest of all tropical savanna regions and it characterized by a great biodiversity of plants and animals with high levels of endemism.

The EthoCebus research station.

A butterfly in the brazilian Caatinga.

Cururu toad (Rhinella sp.) in the brazilian Caatinga.

Capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus). This primates live in an ecosystem whose fragile balance is now threatened by the anthropic impact and, in particular, by the great expansion of intensive agriculture which is endangering the survival of many animal species. Researchers recently estimated that agriculture in this area increased by more than 350 per cent between 2000 and 2017. Habitat degradation threatens the survival of this population of capuchins and their cultural traditions, which are unique, such as the use of stone tools to crack open the palm nuts they eat. If we do not put a stop to the overexploitation of this environment, we risk losing forever the extraordinary behaviour of these primates.

The alpha male of the group of monkeys.

An adult wild bearded capuchin monkey (Sapajus libidinosus) uses a stone tool to crack a very resistant palm nut in Fazenda Boa Vista (Piauì, Brazil). These monkeys habitually crack open very resistant palm nuts on hard surfaces using stones as percussive tools. This behaviour is considered one of the most complex forms of tool use by nonhuman species seen in nature. The alpha male, weighing 4.2 kg, picked up a big stone (3.5 kg) and lifted that above his head to crack a piassava nut. This strategy has been passed across the generations for hundreds of years and it is part of the culture of this population of monkeys.

An adult bearded capuchin monkey has cracked a palm nut using a stone hammer on a log anvil and is removing and eating pieces of the kernel. A young monkey that cannot crack a nut itself watches closely. This behaviour is important for learning about foods, places where they can be obtained, and also about actions used to obtain them. Among social animals, much learning takes place in a social context.

A mother and her baby.

A mother and her baby.

These two capuchin monkeys are brothers and spend most of their time playing, eating and resting together. For the younger one, staying close to his older brother is important for learning food strategies, the rules of the group and how to survive in the semi-arid forests of northeastern Brazil.

The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is native to South America and it is the largest flying parrot in the world. Due to the cage bird trade and habitat loss, the populations of this species have suffered rapid reductions. In the 1980s, an estimated 10,000 birds were taken from the wild. Nowadays this species is qualified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Predators of the forest.
Tarantula (Theraphosidae).

A young capuchin monkey preys a big grasshopper.

Capuchin on a tree branch on a cliff. In this area of Brazil, capuchins used to go up the cliffs for resting or finding food.

A preserved area of Fazenda Boa Vista (Piauí) that has not been affected by intensive agriculture.

The view of Fazenda Boa Vista framed by the walls of a natural tunnel carved into the rock over the time. This area is characterized by sandstone mesas that was shaped by wind and rain.

The landscape of Fazenda Boa Vista.

Capuchins are at ease when they climb up the high cliffs finding food and shelter.

The alpha male.

Grooming is an essential part of maternal care. It serves to remove parasites and dirt from their fur and it is also a powerful means to form strong relationships.

A mother and her baby spleeping on a tree.

Starry nights at Fazenda Boa Vista.

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