De Brazza’s Monkey – Noble White Beard

De Brazza’s Monkey – Noble White Beard

monkey

Photo Credit: Ucumari (Flickr)

 

Although they are locally known by the less flattering name of “swamp monkeys”, the western world has come to refer to De Brazza’s monkey in memory of the the Franco-Italian explorer Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà (he opened The Congo to French Colonization). This arboreal (living in trees) species stands out because of their interesting look, which features grey fur with a reddish brown back, a white rump, an orange crescent-shaped marking on it’s forehead, white eyelids, white muzzle, white beard (Look at that noble beard, like a monkey professor, champion beard of the animal world!), and a crescent-shaped tuft of black fur on top of it’s head. Both male and female De Brazza’s monkeys have pouches in their cheeks in which they store food during foraging. Males are distinct from females because of their sometimes blue scrotums and larger size of about 15 lbs (7 kg), compared to females weighing about 10 lbs(4.5 kg).

 

 looking off

 

De Brazza’s monkeys can be found in the swamps, bamboo forrests, and dry mountain forests of Angola, the Cherangani Hills of Kenya, Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroon, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Gabon and Uganda. They are active during the daytime and can be agile on the ground.

 

 mom baby

 

A shy and sometimes territorial creature, De Brazza’s monkey can be found in small social groups headed up by an alpha male who assumes responsibility for protecting all others in the group. Like all monkeys, De Brazza’s monkeys have complex communication skills that feature booming sounds, shaking of branches, facial expressions, and body language. Despite having a relatively long life span of about 22 years, the bearded monkey does have predators that include leopards, humans, and other monkeys. However, it maintains it’s safety by freezing when alarmed, and camouflaging itself when in danger.

 

de brazza monkey head