| De Brazza's monkey[1] | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Cercopithecidae |
| Genus: | Cercopithecus |
| Species: | C. neglectus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cercopithecus neglectus Schlegel, 1876 |
|
| Geographic range | |
De Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus) is an Old World monkey endemic to the wetlands of central Africa.
Contents |
Locally known as swamp monkeys, these primates are named after the Italian-French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza. They were given the species name neglectus because of their skill in hiding from predators.
This guenon has grey agouti fur with a reddish brown back, black limbs and tail and a white rump. A white stripe runs down its thigh, and an orange crescent-shaped marking appears on its forehead. Its white eyelids match its muzzle and beard. Both sexes have cheek pouches in which to carry food while they forage, and males have a blue scrotum.
De Brazza's monkey is a sexually dimorphic species; males weigh around 7 kilograms, while females weigh around 4.5 kilograms. Babies weigh about 260 grams.
De Brazza's monkey ranges across the swamps, bamboo and dry mountain forests of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, the Cherangani Hills of Kenya,[3] Sudan, and Uganda. They are mainly arboreal.[4]
De Brazza's monkey lives for about 22 years. It is a shy, territorial monkey that lives in small social groups. At the head of each social group is the strongest male, whose job is to protect his fellow group members.
De Brazza's monkey communicates with booming sounds, shaking tree branches, and a variety of facial expressions and movements (e.g. shaking its head when stressed out, or nodding with approval).
Predators of the De Brazza's monkey include the leopard, humans, and other primates. However, because of its very good means of protection, De Brazza's monkey is rarely captured. Among these means of protection are the ability to freeze when alarmed, and the ability to camouflage very well with its surroundings.