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White-naped Mangabey
Scientific Name
Cercocebus atys lunulatus
Systematics
The
White-naped mangabey is a sub-species of the Sooty Mangabey. This group
of mangabeys is related to baboons and guenons and lives in the
tropical rainforest areas of Central- and West- Africa.
Description
The White-naped mangabey has a fine body structure with long limbs and a long tail. The fur is grey-brown, with the inner limbs and the underside being white. On the back there is a long black stripe. They got their name from a white spot on top of their head. The eyelids are coloured white as in other mangabey species and add colour to the animal’s face when being lifted. This is used for communication amongst individuals.
Distribution
Only to be found in the Upper Guinean Rainforest of the eastern part of Cote d’Ivoire and western Ghana.
Habitat
In pristine and secondary rainforest, the White-naped mangabey is often found foraging on the ground.
Life History
White-naped mangabeys can live up to 30 years. Females mature at the age of 3 -4 years and give birth every 12 to 18 months to one young. Their pregnancy lasts 5 ½ months and the young are breast-fed for about half a year.
Diet
White-naped mangabeys eat fruit, seeds, insects and other small invertebrates but there is no precise study from the wild to confirm this in detail.
Behaviour
White-naped mangabeys live in groups of 10 – 25 individuals, formed by several males and females. While males leave their natal group the females stay within and form the core of the group. The related females form a strict hierarchy amongst themselves to avoid conflicts.
White-naped mangabeys spend their day foraging in the dense undergrowth of a forest. While doing so group members keep in contact by acoustic signals and calls.
Conservational Status
The wild population of White-naped mangabeys has been reduced severely by over-hunting and destruction of habitat throughout the last three decades. The remaining groups are now living in separated fragments of forest areas. Exact numbers are not known but estimated at around a few thousand. This sub-species is therefore also rated as highly endangered by the World Conservation Organization (IUCN).
Description
The White-naped mangabey has a fine body structure with long limbs and a long tail. The fur is grey-brown, with the inner limbs and the underside being white. On the back there is a long black stripe. They got their name from a white spot on top of their head. The eyelids are coloured white as in other mangabey species and add colour to the animal’s face when being lifted. This is used for communication amongst individuals.
Distribution
Only to be found in the Upper Guinean Rainforest of the eastern part of Cote d’Ivoire and western Ghana.
Habitat
In pristine and secondary rainforest, the White-naped mangabey is often found foraging on the ground.
Life History
White-naped mangabeys can live up to 30 years. Females mature at the age of 3 -4 years and give birth every 12 to 18 months to one young. Their pregnancy lasts 5 ½ months and the young are breast-fed for about half a year.
Diet
White-naped mangabeys eat fruit, seeds, insects and other small invertebrates but there is no precise study from the wild to confirm this in detail.
Behaviour
White-naped mangabeys live in groups of 10 – 25 individuals, formed by several males and females. While males leave their natal group the females stay within and form the core of the group. The related females form a strict hierarchy amongst themselves to avoid conflicts.
White-naped mangabeys spend their day foraging in the dense undergrowth of a forest. While doing so group members keep in contact by acoustic signals and calls.
Conservational Status
The wild population of White-naped mangabeys has been reduced severely by over-hunting and destruction of habitat throughout the last three decades. The remaining groups are now living in separated fragments of forest areas. Exact numbers are not known but estimated at around a few thousand. This sub-species is therefore also rated as highly endangered by the World Conservation Organization (IUCN).