Mangabey

Mangabey, common name for a large, slender African monkey characterized by unusual white eyelids that are used to communicate threat. The mangabey lives in the tropical rain forests and seasonally flooded forests adjacent to the Congo River in central Africa.

The male mangabey is about 60 cm (about 20 in) long not including the tail, which can more than double the overall length. Females are generally smaller than males. Mangabeys have doglike projecting muzzles and large cheek pouches. The white-cheeked mangabey and black mangabey are mostly black in color with pointed crests on their heads; the white-collared mangabey and Tana River mangabey have mainly brown or gray fur and lack crests. The large, stiff tail may be carried straight up or may curve forward parallel to the back. Like all Old World monkeys, mangabeys have areas of thick, rough skin on their buttocks that enable them to sleep comfortably in a sitting position. Mangabeys typically live in groups, or troops, containing one to several males, several females, and the young.

Mangabeys eat mostly fruit, with some seeds and nuts, leaves, mushrooms, and insects and grubs. White-cheeked and black mangabeys forage strictly in the trees, while white-collared and Tana River mangabeys sometimes feed on the forest floor.

Females become sexually mature by four years of age and males by age six or seven. Mangabeys breed year-round. Males competing for mates threaten each other by raising their eyebrows, emphasizing the white patch above the eyes. The area around the female’s vagina swells to signal when she is most fertile. About 170 days after mating, females give birth to a single young. The newborn mangabeys are usually able to climb and cling to their mothers.

Compared with other primate groups, the mangabeys are not severely threatened. The Tana River mangabey, however, is currently listed as near threatened on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species, and several of its subspecies are listed as endangered.

Scientific classification: Mangabeys are members of the Old World monkey family, Cercopithecidae, in the Primate order. The white-cheeked mangabey is classified as Cercocebus albigena, the black mangabey as Cercocebus aterrimus, the white-collared mangabey as Cercocebus torquatus, and the Tana River mangabey as Cercocebus galeritus.