|
|
Mandrill
 |
Mammals |
 |
Africa |
 |
Africa Pavilion |
 |
Cercopithecidae |
 |
30 K.G |
 |
Tropical Forest |
 |
Fruits, nuts, insects |
 |
167 to 176 days |
 |
1 |
 |
Leopards, eagles, snakes |
 |
Endangered |
This African monkey is known as the most colourful mammal.
The mandrill is one of the most colourful mammals in the world. The fur is a dark olive brown colour with a yellow mane like beard. The typical coloration is more apparent in the male which has a red nose with blue crests on each side, reddish blue buttocks and genital organs with a touch of purple. These colours become vivid when the animal is excited or annoyed. This fact, along with different facial expressions and the demonstration of its long dreaded canines is the way that a mandrill uses to communicate with other individuals of its species.
Even if it is mainly terrestrial, this primate can rapidly climb up trees and jump from branch to branch at a height of two to five meters above the ground. The male can weigh up to 30 kilos (66 lbs) and is twice as heavy as a female; a male is about one meter (3 feet) tall. Like the majority of monkeys, it can see colours and has an excellent vision. The mandrill is found in Africa, in the tropical forests of Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and equatorial Guinea. It feeds mainly on fruits, nuts and small vertebrates. The mandrill lives mainly on the ground, in groups of about 15 individuals, made up of one dominant male and a few females with their young. In the dry season, they can regroup in large herds including up to 250 individuals. A female will give birth to only one young after a gestation period of about six months. Predators that can attack an adult include the leopard, the eagle and the snake. The mandrill can live from 30 to 40 years in nature. This is an endangered species because of hunting for the meat and the loss of habitat due to deforestation for agriculture.