<p><i>Sapajus apella</i> is a New World primate, of medium size and with distributed throughout most countries in the Neotropics. Due to their longevity, these monkeys have been considered good models for scientific study. The need to preserve the species has sparked interest in studying the morphology of its tongue to better understand its individual eating habits. In the tongue of <i>S. apella</i>, both taste papillae (fungiform, vallate and foliate) and mechanical (filiform and conical) were identified. Histologically, the entire dorsal surface of the tongue presented a covering of keratinized stratified squamous epithelial tissue, supported by richly vascularized loose connective tissue. The filiform papillae were the most abundant and had fungiform papillae interspersed between them, with the latter showing a distinct spacing between the papillae. In the caudal region of the tongue, conical papillae and three vallate papillae were observed, while in the posterolateral region, foliate papillae occurred. Scanning electron microscopy showed that despite being in greater quantity, the filiform ones are smaller than the others and are bifurcated or trifurcated, the fungiform ones are rounded and contain taste buds. The foliate papillae have vertical trenches and the vallates are surrounded by a papillary fossa. The tongue of <i>S. apella</i> was like that of domestic carnivores, but with differences in the number of vallate papillae present and in relation to the morphology of the fungiform papillae, which were like the vallate ones. In addition to the presence of foliate papillae that differentiated it from old world primates. </p>