Brazzame cat
| Brazzame cat | ||||||||||||
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Brazzame cat |
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| Cercopithecus neglectus | ||||||||||||
| Schlegel , 1876 |
The Brazzame cat ( Cercopithecus neglectus ) is a primate species from the genus of the monkeys ( Cercopithecus ) within the family of the vervet monkeys (Cercopithecidae). It is named after Pierre Brazza , a French traveler to Africa .
features
The fur of the Brazzame cat is predominantly olive-gray, the limbs and tail are blackish. What is striking, however, are their facial markings. She has a red headband and a long white goatee, and a mustache that is also white. These animals show the most pronounced sexual dimorphism in terms of body size within the monkeys. While females weigh around 4 kilograms, the males can reach 7 kilograms. The length of the head body varies between 40 and 47 centimeters for females and 45 to 60 centimeters for males, the tail is slightly longer than the body.
distribution and habitat
The homeland of the Brazzame cats is central Africa from Cameroon in the northwest to Ethiopia in the northeast to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Angola in the south. Their habitat are moist forests, although they can often be found near water. They prefer swampy or seasonally flooded habitats and never live more than a kilometer from the nearest river or lake.
Way of life
Brazzame cats are diurnal and live both on the ground and in the trees, and they are also excellent swimming. They live together in relatively small groups that usually consist of four to ten animals. The groups are harem groups, which means that they consist of a male, several females and their young. Within the group, the animals communicate with a series of sounds and gestures, including alarm screams to warn of predators and postures that signal dominance or subordination within the group.
The animals feed primarily on fruits, but they also eat flowers, leaves and small animals such as insects and worms.
Reproduction
After a gestation period of around five to six months, the female usually gives birth to a single young. These are suckled for a year and reach sexual maturity at five to six years of age. While males have to leave their birth group when they reach sexual maturity, females usually stay in the same group for life. Life expectancy in the wild is estimated at around 20 years; in human care, 30 years are also possible.
threat
Brazzame cats are hunted for their meat and also suffer from the destruction of their habitat through forest clearing, but overall they are not yet endangered species.
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
Web links
- Information on Animal Diversity Web
- Information on primatis.de
- Cercopithecus neglectus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Butynski et al , 2000. Retrieved on 12 May, 2006.