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Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Primates
Suborder
Haplorrhini
Family
Cercopithecidae
Subfamily
Cercopithecinae
Species
Cercopithecus mitis
Cercopithecus mitis
blue monkey
2010/02/07 02:10:59.505 US/Eastern
By Nicole Strawder
Species:
Cercopithecus mitis
Geographic Range
Cercopithecus mitis
is found in rain forests of central, eastern, and southern Africa. The species can also be found in the Congo basin.
Habitat
Cercopithecus mitis
is found in a variety of habitats. They are very dependent upon humid, shaded areas with abundant water and tall trees which provide both food and shelter.
Physical Description
Mass
4 to 6 kg
(8.8 to 13.2 lbs)
Basal Metabolic Rate
Blue monkeys are small (ranging in weight from 4 to 6 kg) and arboreal. The face is nearly naked, usually dark in color (infrequently blue), and has well-developed musculature (Lawlor, 1979).
Cercopithecus mitis
is also known as the diademed monkey because it has a prominent row of forward pointing white fur just above its brow line (Rudran, 1978).
White whiskers are well developed in males. Males are larger than females. Male canines are also slightly larger than the female canines (Rudran,1978).
These monkeys are catarrhine; the nostrils are close together and they face downward. They have cheek pouches to carry food while foraging (Rudran, 1978).
The dental formula of
C. mitis
is 2/2 1/1 3/3 2/2=32.
The nail on each digit is flattened, and the pollex is opposable (Lawlor, 1979).
The upper parts of the body are gray and the limbs are darker in appearance. Some young have indistinct russet-colored rump patches, which has not been seen in adults (Dorst and Dandelot, 1970).
(
Dorst and Dandelot, 1970
;
Lawlor, 1979
;
Rudran, 1978
)
Reproduction
Breeding interval
Females are capable of producing young annually if food is available.
Breeding season
Breeding occurs throughout the year.
Number of offspring
1 (average)
Gestation period
5 months (average)
Time to weaning
6 months (average)
Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
3 years (average)
Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
3 years (average)
Blue monkeys have a polygynous mating system, although promiscuous mating has been known to occur (Estes, 1991). Females solicit copulation from the males using body language (Estes, 1991). Females present their hindquarters to a male to indicate that they are ready to copulate. During copulation, females pout, looking over their shoulder at the male.
Breeding occurs throughout the year. The gestation period lasts 5 months (Rudran, 1978). The female gives birth to a single offspring. The young are weaned at about six months and reach sexual maturity at about three years (Grzimck, 1990).
The young are relatively well developed at birth, with open eyes and the capability to grasp their mother and support their own weight (Macdonald, 1984). Females provide their young with milk for about six months. Allomaternal care does occur amongst the female troup members (Bourliere and Bertrand, 1970).
Parental investment:
precocial
; pre-fertilization (provisioning, protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-independence (provisioning: female, protecting: female); extended period of juvenile learning.
Lifespan/Longevity
Longevity for this species has not been reported, but if
C. mitis
is like other members of the genus
Cercopithecus
, the maximum lifespan is probably around 20 years.
(
Grzimek, 1994
)
Behavior
Blue monkeys are diurnal and arboreal.
Cercopithecus mitis
tends to be a social species with group sizes ranging from 10 to 40 individuals. The groups have a unimale social system (Estes, 1991). The alpha male receives all of the copulations from the troop females. He also guards the troop against other conspecific troops and males. Females tend to join in confrontations with other conspecific troops (Estes, 1991). When take-overs occur, the former alpha male is often ousted from the group. Additionally, blue monkeys form alliances with other monkeys such as
Cercopithecus ascanius
. This is probably for added protection against predators.
Cercopithecus mitis
and
C. ascanius
do not compete for resources because they forage in different locations in the forest (Richard, 1985).
(
Richard, 1985
)
Communication and Perception
As in other species of primates, communication in these monkeys is likely to be complex and varied. Because of their facial markings, facial expressions are extremely marked. Body postures add to the visual signals used in communication. Vocalizations are common in primates and are probably used by diademed monkeys. Tactile communication occurs between mates and rivals, as well as between mothers and their offspring. Grooming is an important physical activity which helps to solidify social bonds.
(
Grzimek, 1994
;
MacDonald, 1984
)
Food Habits
Blue monkeys are frugivorous and folivorous in nature, eating mainly fruits and leaves. In addition, blue monkeys tend to concentrate their invetebrate feeding on slow-moving slugs and worms (Rudran, 1978).
Animal Foods:
mollusks; terrestrial worms.
Plant Foods:
leaves; fruit.
Predation
As is true for other forest dwelling monkeys,
C. mitis
likely falls prey to
leopards
. Other potential predators include snakes and birds of prey.
(
Grzimek, 1994
;
MacDonald, 1984
)
Ecosystem Roles
As a prey species, these monkeys probably have some impact on predator populations. In addition, they are likely to be important in seed dispersal because of their frugivory.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Blue monkeys eat cultivated crops and destroy exotic trees.
Ways that these animals might be a problem for humans:
crop pest.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
In Uganda, blue monkeys are hunted for their meat (Fleagle, 1988).
Ways that people benefit from these animals:
food
.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List:
[link]
:
Lower Risk - Least Concern.
Survival threats to blue monkeys include habitat destruction, such as the clearing of rain forests. Blue monkeys are also destroyed for eating cultivated crops or destroying exotic trees (Fleagle, 1988).
Other Comments
Blue monkeys are a social species. An interesting aspect of the interspecific relations of blue monkeys is their involvement in mixed groupings consisting of two or more primate species (Rudran, 1978). Blue monkey associations with redtails and red colobus sometimes last for six to seven hours within a day (Rudran, 1978). Often, blue monkeys will associate with other species to form coalitions against other groups, to help find food, and also for added protection against predators. With polyspecific associations groups are able to cover a larger area when foraging for food. They are also able to get a broader view of a large area and warn of an approaching predator by alarm calls.
For More Information
Find
Cercopithecus mitis
information at
Contributors
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
Nicole Strawder (author), University of Michigan.
Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.
References
Bourliere, F., C. Hunkeler, M. Bertrand. 1970.
Ecology and Behaviour of Lowe's Guenon (Cercopithecus cambelli lowei) in the Ivory Coast. In Old World Monkeys
. London and New York: Academic Press.
Dorst, J., P. Dandelot. 1970. A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa.
Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
, 136: 313-385.
Estes, R. 1991.
The Behavior Guide to African Mammals
. California: University of California Press.
Fleagle, J. 1988.
Primate Adaptation and Evolution
. London and New York: Academic Press.
Grzimek, T. 1994.
Encyclopedia of Mammals
. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.
Lawlor, T. 1979.
Handbook to the Orders and Families of Living Mammals
. Eureka: Mad River Press.
MacDonald, D. 1984.
Encyclopedia of Mammals
. New York: Facts on File Publications.
Richard, A. 1985.
Sympatry, Competition, and the Niche
. Chicago: Freeman and Company.
Rudran, R. 1978. Sociology of the Blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) of the Kibale Forest, Uganda.
Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
, 249: 148-236.
Wilson, D., D. Reeder. 1993.
Mammal Species of the World
. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
2010/02/07 02:11:01.149 US/Eastern
To cite this page:
Strawder, N. 2001. "Cercopithecus mitis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 09, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cercopithecus_mitis.html.
Disclaimer:
The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource
written largely by and for college students
. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.
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Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the
University of Michigan
Â
Museum of Zoology
.
This material is based upon work supported by the
National Science Foundation
under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support.
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