Blue monkey
The blue monkey, native to central and southeastern Africa, is a notable member of the guenon family, characterized by its bluish-black fur and agile movement through forest canopies. These monkeys excel at swinging through trees, notably outpacing humans on the ground. Typically measuring 1.5 to 2 feet in length and weighing between 8 to 13 pounds, blue monkeys live in troops, which are social groups led by a dominant male and can consist of 10 to 40 females and their young. Their diet is primarily frugivorous, but they also consume various plant parts and small animals. Blue monkeys do not possess prehensile tails, but they have hard sitting pads that aid them in resting comfortably. While they face threats from predators like owls and leopards, they are not currently considered endangered despite habitat loss due to human activities. Blue monkey females typically give birth every two years, usually when food is plentiful, and the young cling to their mother until they are ready to explore independently. With a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, blue monkeys play a vital role in their ecosystem while demonstrating complex social behaviors.
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Blue monkey
The blue monkey is native to the central and southeastern areas of Africa. Blue monkeys are so good at swinging through forest trees that they can swing through the trees of the forest canopy faster that humans can run on the ground.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Cercopithecua
Species: Mitis
Blue monkeys get their name from their bluish black coats of soft, thick fur. Blue monkeys are one of the largest guenons, one of the most common monkeys of Africa. The name guenon comes from the French word meaning "fright." These monkeys are called guenons because when they are angry or excited they make a frightful facial expression by rolling back their lower lip to reveal their teeth.
Blue monkeys, like other African and Asian monkeys, do not have prehensile tails. A prehensile tail is a tail used to hold onto a limb or branch for balance or to swing. Blue monkeys have hard sitting pads on the lower part of their rumps which help them sit comfortably. Blue monkeys grow to a head and body length of between 1 1/2 and 2 feet (50 to 65 centimeters). They weigh between eight and 13 pounds (four to six kilograms). Females are smaller than males.
Blue monkeys live in the forests of eastern and southeastern Africa. They live in groups called troops, each led by a dominant male. The groups usually have between 10 and 40 females and young.
Blue monkeys are frugivorous, meaning they eat mainly fruit, but they also eat blossoms, buds, stems of plants, leaves, insects, birds, lizards, and small mammals. They grab and hold their food with their hand-like front paws. Blue monkeys are preyed upon by wood owls, bush babies, leopards, and eagles.
Male and female blue monkeys my have multiple mates over their lifetimes. Mating season for blue monkeys is different in different places. Usually, the births happen when the most amount of food is available. The gestation period (duration of pregnancy) is five months. The female then gives birth to just one young. The female usually gives birth in the tree where she sleeps. The young monkey clings to its mother's underside until it is old enough to climb onto her back. Female blue monkeys give birth every two years.
Blue monkeys usually live between 20 and 30 years. Although the habitat of blue monkeys is threatened by human development and deforestation, blue monkeys are not a threatened or endangered species.
Bibliography
Abrams, Sylvie. “Blue Monkey, Cercopithecus Mitis.” New England Primate Conservancy, 2022, neprimateconservancy.org/blue-monkey. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
“Blue Monkey - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/blue-monkey. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.