Great white-nosed monkey
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Great white-nosed monkey ( Cercopithecus nictitans ) |
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| ( Linnaeus , 1766) |
The great white-nosed monkey ( Cercopithecus nictitans ) is a species of primate from the genus of the monkeys ( Cercopithecus ) within the family of the vervet monkeys (Cercopithecidae).
features
The fur of the great white-nosed monkey is colored uniformly gray. The face is dark, the eponymous feature is a light nostril made of short, white hair. With a head rump length of 40 to 70 centimeters, a tail up to 102 centimeters long and a weight of up to 12 kilograms, this species is one of the larger monkey species, with the males being slightly larger than the females.
distribution and habitat
The homeland of the great white-nosed monkey is in West and Central Africa. The distribution area includes on the one hand Liberia and the Ivory Coast , on the other hand it extends from Nigeria to the Central African Republic and the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also includes the island of Bioko . Their habitat is forests, whereby they prefer often flooded areas near rivers.
Way of life
These animals are diurnal tree dwellers. Like all monkeys, they live together in groups that consist of a male, several females and their offspring. The group size is around 15 to 40. Within the group, the animals communicate with a series of sounds and gestures that they use to differentiate between enemies, for example. The diet of the animals consists primarily of fruits and seeds, but they also eat leaves and insects.
threat
Overall, the great white-nosed monkey is not an endangered species according to the IUCN . However, the populations in the west of the distribution area (Liberia and Ivory Coast), which according to the IUCN are critically endangered , and the population on the island of Bioko, which according to the IUCN are endangered ( endangered ), are at risk .
Systematics
The great white-nosed monkey, together with the diademed monkey and others, forms the mitis group within the genus of the monkeys . However , it is only distantly related to the little white-nosed monkey .
The internal system has not been fully clarified. The isolated western population in Liberia and the Ivory Coast is sometimes considered a subspecies Cercopithecus nictitans stampflii , while that of Bioko is a subspecies C. m. martini . Wilson & Reeder (2005) only recognize martini and the nominate form nictitans .
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
Web links
- Information on theprimata.com
- Information on primatis.de
- Cercopithecus nictitans in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006 Posted by: T. Butynski & Members of the Primate Specialist Group 2000, 2000. Accessed June 24 of 2008.
Individual evidence
- ^ Spiegel.de: Monkey Communication : Monkeys combine sounds to create a new meaning , accessed on March 20, 2008