Red-tailed monkey
The red-tailed monkey, also known as the black-cheeked white-nosed monkey, red-tailed guenon, redtail monkey, or Schmidt's guenon, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae.
It is found in Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and possibly Burundi. The red-tailed monkey is usually black, red, or orange. Although native to this region, it has spread north and south as well as it can survive in different habitats and under different conditions. It is a distinct creature in its habitats and is gradually becoming endangered due to deforestation and over-exploitation through hunting and predation.
Taxonomy and classification
There are five subspecies recognized for this species:Cercopithecus ascanius ascaniusCercopithecus ascanius atrinasusCercopithecus ascanius katangaeCercopithecus ascanius whitesidei- ''Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti''
Anatomy
Distinguishing features
The red-tailed monkey is named as it sounds: for the red coloration of the tail's underside. The reddish color increases from the base of the tail to the tip. These mammals have a white nose and very large, elastic cheeks used for storing food in their mouths. They have black or dark grey body fur.Size
Males are larger than the females. Body length ranges from 1 to 2 foot, without the tail included, males being on the upper end of the scale and females being on the lower. Adult males also weigh between 7 and 10 pounds and females weigh slightly less between 6 and 8 pounds. The tail length can reach up to 35 inches long, which can be twice the body length for some red-tailed monkeys. The tail helps the monkeys achieve balance.Behavior
Communication and vocalization
Red-tailed monkeys communicate using different methods. Physical movements and vocal communication are used between members of social groups to demonstrate social dominance, submissiveness, or greeting. A soft, oscillating vocalization is used to indicate submission. Two red-tailed guenons will greet each other by touching their noses together, indicating affection or a willingness to play.Visual communication is used as a sign of warning to others to stay away and as a defense against predators. Red-tailed monkeys practice staring or staring with their mouth open. When these monkeys implement staring, they lift their eyebrows to retract the skin on their forehead which makes the skin on the face expand backwards revealing the underneath of their eyelids. On the dark fur background, their eyelids can be seen very easily by others and understand it as a display that the red-tailed monkey is being threatened and the other species needs to stay away. Head-bobbing is another threat display in which the monkey moves its head up and down. These types of communication can be used separately or together depending on how threatened the monkey feels to its surroundings. Other types of communication are used such as chemical and olfactory communication; however, not much information is available on this type of communication.
Feeding habits
Red-tailed monkeys are primarily fructivorous, but are considered omnivorous because they will eat leaves, flowers, or insects in times where fruit is scarce. As they forage, these monkeys gather their findings in the expandable cheeks of their mouths. The pouches will hold a large amount of food where they can forage in one area and then carry their food away to another location where it is safe to consume without the threat of another stealing from them.Social structure
Red-tailed monkeys are social primates that form groups that can range in size from 7 to 30 individuals. The groups consist of one dominant male and females and their offspring, male or female juveniles. Groups generally stay together through all periods of the day and through life, except for males who reach maturity. These males will leave the group they were born into and go on to form all male groups with other red-tailed monkey males or survive alone until they can replace the dominant male of a different social group. The females practice allomaternal care in which the various females in a group will help take care of their own young as well as the young of other females in the group. Often, the different social groups will congregate for support from each other when food is unlimited and in abundance.Red-tailed monkeys have been observed interacting with blue monkeys, including interspecies grooming.