Whitebeard colobus monkey
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Whitebeard colobus monkey ( Colobus polykomos ) |
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| ( Zimmermann , 1780) |
The whiskered or bear colobus monkey ( Colobus polykomos ) is a primate species from the group of colobini monkeys .
features
White-bearded colobus monkeys, like all colobus monkeys, are slender, long-tailed primates with a degenerated thumb. The fur is mostly black, only the cheek hair and the chest are white. The tail is also completely white and, in contrast to other representatives of the black and white colobus monkeys, has no tassel.
distribution and habitat
Whitebeard colobus monkeys are native to western Africa , their range extends from Gambia to Ivory Coast . Forests are their habitat.
Way of life
These primates are diurnal tree dwellers who mostly stay in the canopy and rarely come to the ground. They live in small groups made up of one male (sometimes more), about three to four females and their offspring. They are territorial animals, although the territories partially overlap, individual groups avoid each other. Loud roaring by the males in the morning informs the other groups of their whereabouts. If two groups meet each other, the males in question develop aggressive behavior, which is carried out with gestures, loud roars and also with physical arguments.
White-bearded colobus monkeys mainly eat leaves, but they also eat fruits and seeds. A multi-chambered stomach helps them to utilize the difficult to digest leaf food.
After a gestation period of almost six months, the female usually gives birth to a single young. This is initially colored white, and not only the mother but also the other females in the group take care of it.
threat
Like many other inhabitants of the West African forests, the white-bearded colobus monkeys suffer from the progressive destruction and reduction of their habitat. The IUCN lists the species as low endangered, but states that this assessment is out of date.
In Duisburg Zoo , some animals are kept, the Zoo also manages the stud book in which the Weltzoobestand is maintained.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hunted by chimpanzees ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Rheinische Post (online) from January 2, 2009
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 .
Web links
- Information on the Animal Diversity Web
- Colobus polykomos in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Primate Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved on 5 June of 2008.