Bouvier's Red Colobus
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Infraorder
Genus
SPECIES
Piliocolobus bouvieri
Population size
Unknown

Bouvier's red colobus (Piliocolobus bouvieri ) is a species of colobus monkey rediscovered in the Republic of the Congo in 2015, after four decades without a confirmed sighting.

Di

Diurnal

He

Herbivore

Fo

Folivore

Ar

Arboreal

Br

Browsing

Te

Terrestrial

Vi

Viviparous

So

Social

No

Not a migrant

B

starts with

Appearance

Bouvier's red colobus is a species of colobus monkey rediscovered in the Republic of the Congo in 2015, after four decades without a confirmed sighting. It is brownish-red in color and its head has a patch of black to chocolate brown fur. It has a white chin and whiskers. A black band of fur extends from above the eyes to the temples. The monkey's eyes are surrounded by large, pink eyerings. Its tail is long in proportion to its small body and is dark brown at the root, fading to brownish-red at the tip. The fur on its underside is lighter than the fur on its back. Bouvier's red colobus is thought to exhibit considerable facial variation from individual to individual, varying from light flesh-colored with blackish cheeks and brows to darker tones throughout the face, excluding the nose and lips.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Subcontinents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

Bouvier's red colobuses live in swampy forests surrounding the Congo River, between the mouths of the Alima and Oubangui Rivers.

Bouvier's Red Colobus habitat map

Biome

Climate zones

Bouvier's Red Colobus habitat map
Bouvier's Red Colobus
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Habits and Lifestyle

Little is known about the lifestyle of these rare monkeys. Generally, members of this genus are primarily arboreal and live in large troops which can number up to 80 individuals. These groups usually have more females than males. The few male monkeys in the troop usually stay with their original group, but the females have a tendency to move together in small numbers, probably in close familial relationships, between troops. Mother-infant bonds among red colobuses are quite strong, as they are with most primates. The mothers are usually reluctant to allow other females from their troop to carry their babies. Red colobus monkeys feed by day and are extraordinarily adapted to their entirely vegetarian and widely varied diet. They have special salivary glands, which are larger and produce more specialized saliva to help facilitate the breakdown of leaves before they reach the digestive tract.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Red colobus monkeys are herbivores and eat mainly young leaves, flowers, and unripe fruit.

Mating Habits

FEMALE NAME
female
MALE NAME
male
BABY NAME
infant

There is no information regarding the mating system and reproductive habits of this species.

Population

Population threats

The Bouvier's red colobus was thought to be extinct and no individuals had been seen in the wild since the 1970s. This species was thought to have lost at least 80% of its population since then, due to hunting and habitat loss. Bouvier's red colobuses do not show fear of humans and this, unfortunately, makes them an easy target for bushmeat hunters.

Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of Bouvier's red colobus total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.

References

1. Bouvier's Red Colobus on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouvier%27s_red_colobus
2. Bouvier's Red Colobus on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18250/166600357

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