Black and white colobus monkeys
| Black and white colobus monkeys | ||||||||||||
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Mantled monkey ( Colobus guereza ) |
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| Colobus | ||||||||||||
| Illiger , 1811 |
The black and white colobus monkeys ( Colobus ) are a genus of primate from the group of colobus monkeys within the family of the vervet monkeys (Cercopithecidae). The scientific name Colobus comes from the Greek ( kolobos = "the mutilated").
description
The fur of these animals is colored in contrasting black and white. The basic color is black, depending on the species, parts of the face, the chest, the shoulder area or the tail are colored white, sometimes in the form of long coat hair or a tail tassel. As with all colobus monkeys, the thumb is regressed, an adaptation to the tree-dwelling way of life. Black and white colobus monkeys are the largest colobus monkeys, they reach a head body length of 45 to 72 centimeters (the tail becomes 52 to 100 centimeters long) and a weight of 5 to 14.5 kilograms. Males are usually significantly larger and heavier than females.
distribution and habitat
Black and white colobus monkeys are native to large parts of Africa , their range extends from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Angola and Zambia . Their habitat is predominantly forests, it can be rain and mangrove forests as well as mountain forests up to 3000 meters above sea level; sometimes they also occur in tree-lined grasslands.
Way of life
These primates are diurnal animals that are mostly in the trees, in sparsely forested areas they sometimes live on the ground.
They form harem groups of around 8 to 15 animals, which are composed of a male, two to six females and their young. They are territorial animals, the grazing areas are relatively small with 15 to 60 hectares and can partially overlap with those of other groups. The males give morning roaring concerts to point out the whereabouts of other groups. If two groups meet, however, aggressive actions between the respective males can occur, consisting of threatening gestures, yelling and, if necessary, physical confrontations.
food
Black and white colobus monkeys feed primarily on leaves, but they also eat fruits and flowers. They have a four-chambered stomach, with the two upper chambers serving as “fermentation chambers” with special bacteria to break down the cellulose; only then does the pre-digested food enter the lower stomachs, where it is further broken down before it moves on to the intestines. This digestive system is an adaptation to the nutrient-poor leaf food and is also found in a similar form in ruminants .
Reproduction
In most cases, these animals do not have a specific breeding season, they can mate all year round. The gestation period is around five to six months, after which a young is usually born. Young animals are born with white fur, only later do the typical black and white appearance develop. The females in a group look after the offspring together, it is quite common for children to be passed around and for females other than the mother to suckle the young. Young animals are weaned after around six months and sexually mature after three to four years (females) or four to six years (males). Young males have to leave their birth group at this point. Life expectancy is around 20 years, in human care up to 30 years.
The species
- The Angola colobus monkey ( Colobus angolensis ) lives in eastern and southern Africa, from Kenya to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.
- The mantled monkey or guereza ( C. guereza ) is native from Nigeria to Ethiopia and Tanzania.
- The whiskered monkey ( C. polykomos ) is widespread from Senegal to the Ivory Coast.
- The black colobus monkey ( C. satanas ) is characterized by a completely black fur. His home is Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
- The Geoffroy's colobus monkey ( C. vellerosus ) occurs from the Ivory Coast to Nigeria.
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
