Other Primates
Eastern Spot-nosed monkey, Cercopithecus petaurista petaurista
The Eastern spot-nosed monkey is medium-sized and highly arboreal. It has a distinctive white triangular patch of hair on its nose. Its prominent ears are edged with a line of white hair that extends laterally below the ear. The head, back, and outer legs and arms are flecked with golden olive-brown.
This species occurs from the Cavally River on the Liberia–Côte d’Ivoire border eastwards to Togo. It is considered one of the more common primates of West Africa and can be seen relatively easily.
Eastern spot-nosed monkeys usually live in single-male, multi-female groups of 4–24 individuals. Their diet includes leaves, ripe fruits, insects, and flowers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as Least Concern.
Patas monkey, Erithrocebus patas
The Patas monkey is a highly terrestrial primate. It has a relatively large, slim body with long arms and legs. Its coat is light red-brown on the crown, back, shoulders, and upper tail. The face, arms, and legs vary in colour from white to yellowish-brown, while the eyebrows and the hair around the lips are black.
The Patas monkey is the most widespread primate in West Africa. Its range extends from the south-eastern edge of the Sahara Desert to the north-eastern edge of the moist forest zone, and from Senegal eastwards to northern Cameroon.
They live in groups of 7–45 individuals, usually in open areas. Their diet consists mainly of gums, thorns, flowers, and seeds. The IUCN lists the Patas monkey as Least Concern.
Green monkey, Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus
The green monkey is a medium-sized primate that can be seen both on the ground and in trees. Its upper body is light khaki-olive green, while the underparts are creamy white. In contrast, the ears and face are dark, and males have a distinctive pale blue scrotum.
This species is found from Senegal eastwards to the Volta River in Ghana. It has also been introduced to Barbados, Cape Verde, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, probably through the pet trade during colonial times.
Green monkeys live in multi-male, multi-female groups of widely varying size. Their diet is adaptable to seasonal changes and includes fruit, seeds, and animal matter. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
Western chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes verus
The Western chimpanzee has a distinctive appearance. The muzzle is broad and fringed laterally and under the lower jaw with sparse white hairs, particularly in adult males. The face darkens with age, and the ears are large and prominent. Adult males are more robust than females, weighing up to 49 kg, while females weigh up to 42 kg.
The Western chimpanzee occurs from south-eastern Senegal and Guinea-Bissau through the forest and southern savanna–woodland zones to Ghana. It is thought that this subspecies was once also present in western Togo, but it is now almost certainly extinct there.
Chimpanzees sleep in nests built 10–12 metres above the ground. Like gorillas, they usually walk on all fours, but males will sometimes walk or run on two legs as part of a display. They are the loudest of all the apes, communicating not only with a complex range of calls but also by striking the wide roots at the base of trees, a behaviour known as ‘drumming’, which can be heard throughout the forest.
Chimpanzees are highly social, living in groups that include males, females, and young of different ages. Group size varies but can reach up to 82 individuals. They are omnivores, with a diet that consists mainly of fruit, supplemented by leaves and, at times, animal prey. The IUCN lists the Western chimpanzee as Critically Endangered due to severe population declines caused by habitat loss, hunting, and disease.
Permission to use illustrations kindly given by the artist Stephen Nash