3577-Mandrill 44 cm.H

Mandrill

Description Mandrills are reclusive monkeys that can naturally be found in the rainforests of equatorial Africa. They are the biggest of all monkeys and can also make use of tools. Compared to other monkeys, they are the most colorful. The Mandrill has a red stripe down the middle of its hairless face, and its nostrils and lips are also of the same color. The edges of the red stripe on its face are blue, and the areas around its anus and genitals are multicolored. Their rumps can have the color purple, pink, scarlet, red, and blue. Dominant adult males have more distinct colors in their body. When the Mandrill gets excited, the colors become more vibrant. The canine teeth of these primates, which they use for self-defense, are very long. In comparison to female Mandrills, the males have longer canine teeth that are 4.5 cm in length on average. These monkeys normally live in troops led by a dominant male, which can be composed of around 615 Mandrills on average. They are terrestrial primates and they move with their long arms to search for food on the ground. However, they can also climb trees and sleep there. Mandrills are omnivorous animals and their diet is typically composed of leaves, stems, bark, mushrooms, spiders, ants, snails, beetles, crickets, birds, rats, frogs, shrews, tortoises, porcupines, among others. They can also consume bigger vertebrates, which they kill by biting the prey to the nape.

Status The Mandrill is categorized as Vulnerable and their populations are threatened by hunting for bush meat and habitat loss due to deforestation. These monkeys are primarily at risk in the Republic of Congo.