Description

The Tana River mangabey is a highly endangered species of primate in the family. It is a medium-sized primate with a long semi-prehensile tail, yellow-brown coat, and a center part on the crown of the head with long, dark fur. The species has white eyelids that contrast to its darker face like other Cercocebus species. This contrast in the eyelids is believed to be used as part of the species complex communication system. The species also has specialized dental morphology for feeding on hard nuts, seeds, and fruits.

Fun Facts

The Tana River mangabey is diurnal and semi-terrestrial. It spends most of its time on the ground but is still considered arboreal due to its sleeping area. The species sleeps in trees which are approximately 27-37m in height which have a sparse canopy cover of 25-60%. The primate sleeps in the forks of the branches of these trees or near the main trunk. It is believed to sleep in trees to reduce the risk of predation and chooses this site according to its last feeding position in the area. Group size ranges from 13-36 individuals, and sometimes combining to form aggregations of 50 to 60 individuals. These groups consist of multiple males and multiple females. The species have an average day-range length of 1.25 km. During the dry season when food is limited groups maintain discrete territories with minimal overlapping. To maintain these territories males give spatial vocalizations and territorial displays at fixed boundaries. The males within the group may also engage in active combat with outside group leaders invading the territory. In the wet season when food is abundant boundaries are broken down. Foraging ranges for different groups extend and there is considerable overlap between the different groups. During this time groups are more tolerant of one another and meet and intermingle. The Tana River mangabey has a few predators, such as Python sebae, crowned eagle, martial eagle, and Nile crocodile.