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Colobus Monkey

Colobus guereza

Quick Facts

Scientific name: Colobus guereza
Class: Mammal
Weight: 18 to 30 pounds
Life span: 20 to 30 years
Conservation status: Least concern
Number of offspring: 1 young at a time

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About

I LIVE IN AFRICA

Colobus monkeys can most often be found in coastal forests and wooded grasslands across equatorial Africa.


I AM AN HERBIVORE

Tender leaves from high up in the trees are the colobus monkey’s favorite food. However, they will also eat unripe fruit, flowers, and tree bark.


COLOBUS MONKEYS ARE SOCIAL

Colobus monkeys are a somewhat social species, they typically live in small groups of five to fifteen individuals. Each “troop” has one male, as well as several females and young. A troop of colobus monkeys spend lots of time sleeping or sunning in trees, their long white tails dangling below.


DARE DEVILS

Colobus monkeys are known to use tree branches as trampolines, sometimes leaping up to 50 feet. By jumping up and down on them, this species is able to make leaps of up to 50 feet. Their mantle hair and tails also act as parachutes to help them during these daring leaps.


HELPING THE COLOBUS MONKEY IN THE WILD

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo supports Pan African Sanctuary Alliance, a coalition of sanctuaries across Africa that work to rescue and rehabilitate monkeys and apes, as well as conduct research on different species.


I AM IMPORTANT TO MY ECOSYSTEM

The colobus monkey is an expert at seed dispersal and propagation of the forest trees and other various plants they eat.


Conservation

Learn more about our efforts, our conservation partners around the world, and the simple steps you can take to contribute.

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