 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The name "colobus" is derived from the Greek word meaning
"docked" or "mutilated." Colobus monkeys
once were thought to
be abnormal because they have no thumb, or only a small stub
where the thumb would
usually be. This is actually an adaptation
rather than a mutilation which allows colobus monkeys to easily
travel along the tops of branches quadripedally. Black-and-white colobus are the Old World monkeys which bear a striking resemblance to skunks. They have a long, black fur coat with a white stripe running down the sides of their backs to their tails. Their bushy tails, which often exceeds the length of their bodies, are black at the base and gradually becomes white. Females in the group remain for life, males leave as they near sexual maturity. |
Mona is the Moorish word for "long-tailed monkey" andGuenon is French for "fright." These monkeys got this
name because they grimace and bare their teeth when excited or angry. Mona monkeys have a red-brown to brown-agouti fur coat on their dorsal surface. Their ventral surface and buttocks are white. Their upper half of their face is bluish-gray with a white band on their forehead. They have dark eyebrows and pinkish snout. Around their face, the hair is yellow and a dark stripe runs from between their eyes to the ears. Their cheeks are greyish-yellow and their lips are white. Other prominent features are their long thick sideburns and white long tufts on their ears. Their tail is near black on top while grey underneath with a black tip at the end. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BEHAVIOUR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A shy and retiring aloofness sets this species apart, from other monkeys and may be the reason they are considered
holy in West Africa. Traveling among the trees, the monkeys use branches as trampolines, jumping up and down on
them to get liftoff for leaps of up to 50 feet. They rise up and then drop downward, falling with outstretched arms and
legs until they reach another branch. They live in troops led by a strong male who usually covers the troop's retreat. The monkeys make croaking and rattling vocal sounds to help mark
their territories. |
The Mona monkey lives in large packs ranging from five to fifty. There is usually only one adult male in a social-group,
but if the group gets large enough, there may be several adult males. These monkeys are known to be loud and noisy,
with calls that sound like expressive moans. Their alarm call sounds like little sneezes.They are diurnal and arboreal,
and move quadrupedally through the forest. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LOCATION | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All colobus are native to Africa. They are confined to within 10 degrees of the equator. The black and white colobus cover large area expanding across the continent. They can mostly be found around the Central Africa from Cameroon to Ethiopia and Tanzania |
The Mona monkey is found in the countries of Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal,
Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, and Zaire. This species is found in a wide variety of forest types and can live near human
habitation. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIET | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the wild: Leaves, stems, bark, flowers, buds, shoots, fruits and some aquatic plants. At the zoo: Monkey chow and a leafy
diet with daily browse (herbaceous plants). |
This species feeds on Fruit, insects, leaves, nuts, grains, roots, wild honey, bird eggs, and snails |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LIFESPAN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wild/Captivity 25 - 30 yrs. estimate | Can live up to 26 years in captivity. Figures in the wild are not available. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GESTATION | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unlike many animals, fighting rarely occurs during breeding season.
After a gestation period of 5-7 months, the pregnant female, accompanied by a male, withdraws from the troop. A day after birth
she returns with her young clinging to her underside. The mother carries the young in this manner for about eight months. Other
members of the group frequently help by carrying the infant. |
Average of 5 1/2 - 6 months. Most pregnancies result in a single birth, but twins are occasionally born. Births usually
occur at two-year intervals and take place at night in the tree in which the mother sleeps. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SIZE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length with tail, up to 62 inches; weight, up to 30 pounds | LENGTH: Male 16.5-21.5in (42.31-55.13cm), Female 16.5-21.5in (42.31-55.13cm). WEIGHT: Male 8-11lbs (3.64-5kg), Female 8-11lbs (3.64-5kg) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HABITAT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
colobus live in forest, woodlands, or wooded grasslands. They can also survive in dry, moist, or riparian forests that are either in lowlands or up to 3,300 m. They are most abundant in secondary forests or along rivers. They tend to live in the lower part of the trees if their area does not overlap with that of any other group of monkeys. When trees are not densely spaced, colobus feed and travel on the ground. |
Rain forests, woodlands, and mangrove swamps Monas are very adaptable and live in a variety of habitats, including
rain forests, woodland areas, and mangrove swamps. Monas are sometimes found in farmlands such as cacao
plantations and gardens. They prefer to live in the tops of trees but can be seen in the mid-level and lower canopies,
as well. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
