Erythrocebus patas
Dancing monkey, Hussar monkey, military monkey, red monkey and sergeant-major monkey.
This is one of the most elongated monkeys - Head and body: 24-35 inches (61-89 cm), with long, slender legs and a slight body. The short, coarse coat is brick-red in color, and more vividly colored on the head. The long tail of 20-30 inches (51-76 cm)is carried arched over the back. The face is pink in the western part of the species range, and gray with a white marking in the eastern parts.
They are the world's fastest terrestrial primates. Patas may cover 0.3-9 miles (0.5-14.4 km) per day in search of food. Their long, slender arms and legs enable them to run up to 35 miles (56 km) per hour. When required, a patas can go zero to 33 miles (0-53 kph) per hour in three seconds.
In the wild, they spend more time on the ground than any other monkey. Like all old world monkeys, they have well-developed hands with an opposable thumb.
The patas monkey lives in groups, usually consisting of a male and his harem plus the newborn and young, but in some cases these groupings can number up to 100 individuals. Patas monkeys usually live in groups of about 15 with only a single, dominant, fully adult male. The patas male plays a role that is well suited to the open country where the group is exposed to attack by leopards and hyenas. He acts as a watchdog, standing on two feet to peer over the tall grass, sometimes using his tail as a tripod, or climbing into an isolated tree to spy out the land. If he sees a predator, he utters no noisy alarm bark, just a soft chirruping call that alerts the group. Then they crouch silently in the grass, remaining concealed while the male performs a conspicuous diversionary display. Bouncing noisily about in the branches of his tree, he rushes off in the opposite direction, giving time for the females and young of the group to make their escape.
Surplus males live in separate bands. Several of them will occasionally approach a troop of females and set about their single male in an attempt to drive him away and take his place. Such incidents are quite frequent and biologically desirable in that they prevent inbreeding.
They have been seen many miles from water, therefore they probably can exist under semi arid conditions. These monkeys are alert and seldom permit close approach. The young usually take refuge in small trees when pursued.. It is very social, but also quiet, and communication consists principally of gestures and facial expressions. By day it goes in search of food, almost entirely plant matter, and by night the group splits up and sleeps in various trees.
Gender differences:
The males are almost twice as large and heavier: 15-29 pounds (7-13 kg) than the females: 9-15 pounds (4 -7 kg). Adult males have long, mane-like hair around their nape and shoulders, and they have a white moustache. . The contrasts in the reddish brown coloured fur are more conspicuous in males than in females.
Habitat:
They range from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Tanzania They are primarily ground-dwelling primates and are often found in open bush and grass savanna regions. They also reside in woodland savannas, but avoid densely wooded areas. They can also be found in rocky areas of the Sahara desert. Along with vervet monkeys and some baboon species, patas are the only monkeys that still inhabit African savannas. They can tolerate very arid conditions, being found right up to the southern edge of the Sahara desert.
Diet:
The patas monkeys are omnivorous, but can apparently subsist on either animal or vegetable food alone. They search on the ground for and are especially dependent on the pods, seeds, gall, young leaves, gum and flowers of acadia trees. They also eat grasses, berries, seeds, fruits, insects, eggs, lizards and young birds.
Reproduction:
Females reach sexual maturity after about 2.5 years. Males are sexually mature at 3.5-4.5 years. Gestation lasts for approximately 167 days, after which the female gives birth to one offspring.The young are weaned at six months.
The mating season and the period when the young are born are closely synchronized in any one group.
Life span : 15 to 20 years in the wild; over 20 years in zoos
Other:
Primary predators of patas monkeys include leopards, cheetahs, eagles, hyenas and jackals.
Patas monkeys are frequently hunted for their meat and because they are sometimes considered pests since they raid crops. The patas monkeys’ available habitat has been reduced by heavy cattle grazing and the conversion of savanna areas into farmland. However, in some instances, deforestation has converted once humid areas into drier savanna zones, and has actually increased suitable habitat for patas monkeys.
The patas monkey can store as much food in its cheeks as it can fit in its stomach.
Male patas have proportionally the longest canines of any primate. Although generally quiet, patas monkeys will bark upon meeting another troop.
Because of their speed, coloring and gait, patas monkeys have often been mistaken for cheetahs while running.
The word 'Monkey': 'Monkey' is of unknown derivation, but it may come from the old German story of 'Reynard the Fox,' in which the ape's son was named 'Moneke.' 'Patas' is an African word for 'tailless.'
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