De Brazza’s guenon, De Brazza's monkey
De Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus ) is an Old World monkey endemic to the riverine and swamp forests of central Africa. The largest species in the guenon family, it is one of the most widespread arboreal African primates. Aside from size, it can be differentiated from other cercopithecus monkeys by its orange diadem and white beard. Due to its cryptic nature, the species is not well documented in all of its habitats but has shown unique traits such as pair-bonding and aggressive behavior towards other guenons.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withDe Brazza’s monkey is a large primate, native to Africa. This monkey belongs to guenons, otherwise known as the genus Cercopithecus. De Brazza’s monkey is so called after a Franco-Italian explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who established Brazzaville, the capital city of Congo - one of the countries they are endemic to. Although these primates are generally arboreal, they can also spend their time in water and on the ground.
De Brazza’s monkeys are found over a large area, stretching from Cameroon southwards to northern Gabon, Congo and northern Angola as well as eastwards, covering much of the Democratic Republic of Congo and reaching southern Central African Republic and eastern Uganda. Additionally, isolated populations of these monkeys occur in western Ethiopia, far south of Sudan and eastern Kenya. Preferred habitat of this species is forested area nearby a river or waterway. Hence, De Brazza’s monkeys generally inhabit dense swamp forests, lowland tropical forests and mountain forest.
These primates are both terrestrial and arboreal. De Brazza's monkeys are social animals, forming very small groups of 4 - 10 individuals, although larger units of up to 35 animals have been recorded. They are highly territorial creatures and don't tend to associate with other monkeys, although captive individuals do associate with other species. When threatened, they usually climb onto trees and remain motionless. They forage in the early morning and evening, collecting food by hand. When moving around, De Brazza's monkeys use all of their four legs, unlike some monkeys. They are also good swimmers. Juveniles try to imitate their fathers, practicing dominance. The greater part of their active time is spent roaming with arched tails and slamming branches. Meanwhile, the dominant male may sometimes be challenged by another male of the area.
As omnivorous animals, De Brazza's monkeys feed upon a wide variety of food, including leaves, flowers and mushrooms, supplementing this diet with occasional beetles, termites, and worms. However, their main food is fruits.
The reproductive system of this species varies, depending on location. Thus, populations in some areas exhibit polygynous mating system, where a dominant male lives and breeds with 9 - 10 females. In other areas, De Brazza's monkeys are monogamous: a male and a female form a long-lasting pair, living in a family group with their young. They generally breed during periods of abundant food, although the population in the equatorial rainforest is known to breed in February-March. Gestation period lasts for 5 - 6 months, yielding one baby. As soon as born, the baby clings to the belly of its mother, where it finds protection from potential predators. The juvenile begins eating solid food at 2 months old and is weaned at about 1 year old. Young of both sexes are mature at 5 - 6 years old, after which males usually disperse, while females continue living with their mothers.
De Brazza’s monkeys are presently threatened by loss of their natural habitat as a result of continuous forest clearance for agriculture and timber. These primates are hunted for their meat. The latter concern is compounded by expansion of the bushmeat trade.
This species is widespread but not very abundant over its range. It is suggested that the total population size of the De Brazza’s monkeys is over 100,000 individuals. According to the IUCN Red List, an isolated population, recently discovered in Mathews Range Forest Reserve, was estimated to 200-300 individuals. Overall, De Brazza’s monkeys are currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Due to their frugivorous diet, De Brazza’s monkeys are likely to act as seed dispersers of their range. Additionally, they are prey items for some local predators.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...