Mantled guereza

Mantled guereza

Description

The mantled guereza is a striking black-and-white Old World monkey, instantly recognisable by the long U-shaped fringe of silky white hair (the "mantle") along its flanks, a white-framed face and a bushy white tail tip. It reaches a head-and-body length of around 55-65 cm plus a very long tail of up to 90 cm, with males weighing roughly 9-14 kg and females somewhat less.

Habitat

It lives in west-central and east Africa, from Nigeria and Cameroon eastward through Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya to Tanzania. It favours deciduous and evergreen forests, especially wooded areas along rivers and lakes, and ranges from lowland rainforest up to mountain forest at over 3,000 m.

Diet

This monkey is a leaf specialist: young leaves make up most of its diet, supplemented by mature leaves, fruit, seeds, buds and flowers. A specialised multi-chambered stomach full of helpful bacteria ferments and breaks down tough, fibrous plant material.

Reproduction

After a gestation of roughly five to six months, the female usually gives birth to a single infant, with births spaced about 16 to 22 months apart. Newborns are covered in pure white fur and take on the adult black-and-white pattern by three to four months of age.

Lifespan

In the wild guerezas may live around 20 years, and individuals in human care have reached about 24 years.

Did you know?

At dawn the males give a booming, rolling roar that carries across the forest for more than a kilometre, letting neighbouring groups defend their territory without ever having to fight.