Four species of monkey are native to the forests of Costa Rica, the Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), the Panamanian white-faced capuchin (Cebus imitator), the mantled howler (Alouatta palliata) and Geoffroy's spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). All four species are classified scientifically as New World Monkeys. Two of the species, the Central American squirrel monkey and the white-faced capuchin, belong to the family Cebidae, the family containing the squirrel monkeys and capuchins. The other two species belong to the family Atelidae, the family containing the howler monkeys, spider monkeys, woolly monkeys and muriquis. Each of the four species can be seen in national parks within Costa Rica, where viewing them in natural surroundings is a popular tourist attraction. Th