De Brazza's Monkey

Fascinating facts about the De Brazza's Monkey

• It is the biggest guenon, out-sizing all its relatives. It lives in the riverine and swamp forests that stretch across central Africa, making it one of the most widespread arboreal primates on the continent. Troops stay almost exclusively within a kilometre of rivers or tributaries, and they will even enter the water, so sightings sometimes show them swimming.
• Males weigh about 7 kg while females are roughly 4 kg, giving the species the greatest size gap among guenons. This pronounced sexual dimorphism is the most extreme of any guenon, highlighting the contrast between the sexes. The weight difference also coincides with distinct colouration such as the male's blue scrotum and the female's red perianal region.
• De Brazza's monkeys are the only guenons known to form lasting male-female pairs. In western parts of their range, especially Gabon and Cameroon, researchers have recorded small groups consisting of a single adult male, a single adult female and their offspring. These pair-bonded units are unique among guenons, which normally live in multi-male, multi-female troops.
• De Brazza's monkeys do not join the mixed-species troops that many other guenons form; instead they actively drive other primates away. This aggression is limited to species that compete for the same foods, while they will tolerate certain colobines that do not. Their intolerance of other guenons helps them keep exclusive access to the dense river-edge habitats they occupy.
• When a predator approaches, a De Brazza's monkey will curl into a tight ball against a tree trunk, concealing its orange crown and white thigh stripes and remaining perfectly still. It stays motionless until the threat passes, only moving if the predator comes very close. Even then the monkey moves quietly and slowly, hoping to avoid detection. This tight-ball response is the species' typical strategy for evading eagles, leopards and other hunters.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the De Brazza's Monkey

In the lush, emerald canopies of the central African forests, De Brazza's Monkey weaves a subtle, enigmatic presence, its movements a masterclass in stealth and agility as it navigates the intricate network of branches with ease. With eyes that shine like dark, polished onyx, this captivating creature surveys its surroundings, its expressive face a kaleidoscope of emotions, from curiosity to caution, as it forages for fruit and leaves in the dappled light. As it leaps from tree to tree, its vibrant orange browbands flashing like tiny beacons, De Brazza's Monkey embodies the very essence of the forest, a living, breathing embodiment of the wild beauty that surrounds it.

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