Old World Monkeys: Cercopithecidae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Old World Monkeys And People, Conservation Status, Western Red Colobus (piliocolobus Badius): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET
Leaf monkeys are found in Asia and Southeast Asia, except for the colobus monkeys. Cheek-pouched monkeys are found in Africa, including the Barbary macaque. All other macaques are found in Southeast Asia.
Old World monkeys live in virtually all land habitats, including grasslands, open dry forests, dense evergreen forests, mangroves, swamps, and forests along rivers. Some live near humans.
Leaf monkeys eat mainly leaves. Cheek-pouched monkeys consume fruits, seeds, insects, and occasionally young leaves.
Additional Topics
Old World monkeys are divided into the leaf-eating monkeys (including langurs [lang-GURZ] and colobus and proboscis monkeys) and the cheek-pouched monkeys (including macaques [muh-KOCKS] and mandrills). Most have subdued dark colorations with lighter undersides. Some, such as mandrills, have spectacular color combinations. All species have forward-facing eyes and short snouts. The buttocks have tw…
Old World monkeys are diurnal (active during the day). Most are arboreal (tree-dwelling), traveling on all fours. They can also leap, using the tail for balance. Some species use some brachiation (brake-ee-AY-shun, a type of locomotion in which an animal swings below branches using its arms. Social groups vary in size. Larger groups may split into subgroups when foraging. They are polygynous (puh-…
Old World monkeys are hunted for food. Some species are used in medical research. …
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists five species as Critically Endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction, due to hunting, as well as habitat loss and degradation from agriculture, logging, and other human activities. These are the eastern red colobus, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, the Delacour langur, the white-headed langur, and the Mentawai macaque. Twenty-two species are cla…
Physical characteristics: The western red colobus monkeys are black or dark gray with bright red undersides. The cheeks and the lower parts of the limbs are also bright red. The Greek word kolobos, meaning "cut short," describes the missing thumbs, which allow for faster brachiation because thumbs do not get caught in the branches. The long tail maintains balance when leaping. Males …
Physical characteristics: The proboscis monkey got its name from its bulbous nose, which in the male is long and drooping. It is thought that females are attracted to the large nose. The naked face is pinkish brown. The head and back are reddish orange, while the shoulders, neck, and cheeks are pale orange. The undersides, legs, and tail are grayish white. The webbed feet are useful for swimming. …
Physical characteristics: The red-shanked douc langur is a colorful monkey. The back and upper arms are a grizzled gray, turning to a lighter gray on the undersides. Black hair covers the top of the head, and long, white whiskers frame the golden face. The eyelids are pale blue. The lower arms, wrists, and tail are white, and the hands and feet are black. The thighs are black, and the lower legs a…
Physical characteristics: Rhesus macaques have long, brown hair with pale brown undersides. The hair at the top of the head is short. Facial skin is pinkish, while the rump is red. Males are slightly bigger than females, weighing about 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms) and measuring 21 inches (53 centimeters), with a tail length of 10 inches (24.5 centimeters). Females are about 11.8 pounds (5.4 kilograms…
Physical characteristics: Mandrills have a grizzled brown coat and gray-white undersides. Males have the most striking coloration of all mammals. The large, bright red nose is enclosed by blue bony bulges. The whiskers are white and the beard is golden. A tuft of hair on top of the head and a mane over the shoulders can be erected for threat displays. The rump has shades of red, blue, and lilac, a…
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