Mona Monkey

(Last Updated On: March 4, 2022)

The mona monkey, scientific name Cercopithecus mona is an Old World monkey that lives in western Africa between Ghana and Cameroon.

This article will give an overview of Mona Monkey facts, pet, diet, Grenada, and Ghana.

The mona monkey may also be discovered on the island of Grenada because it was transported to the island aboard slave ships headed to the New World throughout the 18th century.

Mona monkey, (Cercopithecus mona), common West African primate present in tropical rainforests; it was launched to the island of Grenada throughout the 18th century through the slave commerce, and a wild inhabitant has established itself there.

The mona monkey is a speckled reddish-brown in color, with white underparts and an oval patch of white on either side of the tail.

Its face is marked by a pale band throughout the brow and a skinny black stripe between every eye and ear.

The mona monkey is full of life and is, without doubt, one of the most generally exhibited members of the guenon group of African monkeys.

Associated species akin to Campbell’s monkey (C. campbelli) and the crested guenon (C. pogonias) are generally loosely known as monas. All belong to the Previous World monkey household, Cercopithecidae.

This guenon lives in teams of as much as thirty-five in forests. It primarily feeds on fruit, however, it generally eats bugs and leaves.

The mona monkey has brown agouti fur with a white rump. Its tail and legs are black and the face is blue-grey with a darkish stripe throughout the face. The mona monkey carries meals in cheek pouches.

These monkeys have brown agouti fur with a white rump. They have a brown crown on their head, broad whitish forehead band, gray masks of naked pores and skin, and bushy pale cheek fur.

The higher components of the physique and the outer sides of the limbs are deep brown whereas the underparts and the insides of the limbs are creamy-white.

Mona Monkey Description

The male mona monkey has a head-and-body size of 410 to 630 mm (16 to 25 in) and a tail of 520 to 730 mm (20 to 29 in).

The feminine’s head-and-body size is 340 to 457 mm (13 to 18 in). The top has a brown crown, broad whitish forehead band, gray masks of naked pores and skin, and bushy pale cheek fur.

The higher components of the physique and the outer sides of the limbs are deep brown whereas the underparts and the insides of the limbs are creamy-white.

On both facet of the bottom of the tail are a pair of patches of white hair that intently resemble the ischial callosities present in baboons and different Previous World monkeys on this place.

Diet and Vitamin

Mona monkeys are omnivorous animals. They feed primarily on fruit but additionally eat flowers, seeds, bugs, and different invertebrates.

Distribution and habitat

Mona monkeys are present in western Africa. Their vary extends from Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and to western Cameroon.

They’ve additionally been launched into Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis and São Tomé and Príncipe. These monkeys reside primarily in moist forests.

They’re additionally in a position to adapt to the closely degraded forest, gallery forest in savannah areas, and mangrove forests within the delta area of the Niger River. They’re usually the most common monkey close to rivers.

Reproduction

Little is understood concerning the mating system in Mona monkeys. Nonetheless, it’s advised that they’re polygynous as they reside in largely feminine teams with only a few males. Females give beginning every two years to a single toddler.

The gestation interval lasts around 5-6 months. The mom nurses and takes care of her toddler around a yr. Younger Mona monkeys grow to be reproductively mature at around 2-5 years of age.

Ecology

The mona monkey is normally present in teams of about twelve people, with a single mature male, however, bigger aggregations additionally happen.

The troop strikes via the cover foraging primarily for fruit but additionally consuming flowers, seeds, and bugs, and different invertebrates. It’s a vocal species with a harsh grating name, and the male points an “ooer” alarm name.

Mona monkeys are essential in seed-dispersing as a consequence of their frugivorous weight loss program and as a consequence of storing meals of their cheek pouches. They’re additionally prey gadgets for some native predators.

It typically associates with different species of monkeys together with Lowe’s mona monkey (Cercopithecus lowei) and the crested mona monkey (Cercopithecus pogonias).

Behavior

Mona monkeys are very social and reside in teams of about twelve people. There’s normally one mature male, however, in bigger teams, there could also be a number of grownup males. Mona monkeys are diurnal.

They’re energetic normally throughout the early morning or late afternoon. Mona monkeys forage excessive in cover and sometimes carry their meals in cheek pouches. When transferring shortly throughout timber they might journey in teams.

They transfer throughout timber by leaping throughout one tree department to a different one. They simply land on all 4 limbs in a vertical posture. Generally, they might miss their touchdown and fall to the bottom or within the water.

This doesn’t injure them a lot and they’re going to simply climb up the closest tree to affix the group once more.

When threatened Mona monkeys normally freeze and stay immobile till the hazard passes. They’re vocal species with a harsh grating name, and males produce an “ooer” alarm name.

Standing

The mona monkey is a standard and adaptable species. Its pure forest habitat has been impacted by a lot of habitat destruction and it suffers from being hunted for meals.

Nonetheless, the inhabitants don’t appear to be declining considerably, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation standing as being of “least concern”.

Population threats

The primary risk of Mona monkeys is the destruction of their habitat. These monkeys additionally endure from being hunted for meals.

Population quantity

The IUCN Purple Record and different sources don’t present the variety of the Mona monkey whole inhabitants’ measurement. Presently, this species is assessed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Purple Record.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Subfamily: Cercopithecinae
Tribe: Cercopithecini
Genus: Cercopithecus
SPECIES: Cercopithecus mona

Mona Monkey – Facts | Pet | Diet | Grenada | Ghana