Grey-mantled Grey-cheeked Mangabey (Lophocebus albigena) lives in tropical rainforest across Central Africa. Its conservation status is Vulnerable.
Fascinating facts about the Grey-mantled Grey-cheeked Mangabey
- Grey-cheeked mangabeys travel in tight bands of just five to thirty members. The groups have either a single male or (more usually) several, without a single dominant male. Young males leave the troop once they are adult and join other troops, whereas the females stay in the troop of their birth. If troops become too large they may split.
- Across Central Africa, from Cameroon down to Gabon, the grey-cheeked mangabey makes its home in swamp, primary and even secondary forests. Though once thought to stay high in the canopy, habituated troops have been observed on the forest floor collecting food. Their diet leans heavily on fruit, especially figs, while they also snack on seasonal fruits, shoots, flowers and insects.
- Mabira Central Forest Reserve, a 30,000-hectare (74,000-acre) fragment in Uganda, is one of only four holdouts for the Ugandan crested mangabey (Lophocebus albigena ugandae), a monkey the IUCN lists as vulnerable to extinction. Conservationists are now restoring 570 hectares (1,400 acres) of this forest, planting indigenous trees to rebuild habitat.
- Each troop claims a home range that stretches over several square miles of forest, a footprint large enough to overlap with neighboring groups yet fluid enough to shift as resources move.
- Until 2007, scientists recognized three subspecies of grey-cheeked mangabey, but taxonomist Colin Groves raised each to full species status, even splitting one (johnstoni) into two separate species.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeCentral Africa
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietFruits and leaves
About the Grey-mantled Grey-cheeked Mangabey
In the dappled light of the forest canopy, the grey-mantled grey-cheeked mangabey navigates its domain with effortless agility, its slender limbs and prehensile tail weaving a mesmerizing dance through the trees. As it moves, its striking grey and white coat blends seamlessly into the shaded surroundings, allowing this vulnerable primate to maintain a stealthy presence in its threatened habitat. With each deliberate leap, the mangabey embodies a captivating blend of elegance and resilience, its very existence a testament to the enduring beauty of the natural world.
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