Table of Contents
Overview
Distribution
Range Description
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Geographic Range
Patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) live only in Africa. The species has a wide distribution across subSaharan Africa from the western tip of Senegal to East Africa. Patas monkeys occur as far south as Cameroon.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
- Nowak, R. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Honolulu Zoo, 2005. "Patas Monkey" (On-line). Accessed May 30, 2005 at http://www.honoluluzoo.org/patas_monkey.htm.
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Patas monkeys have a shaggy, reddish-colored coat. these monkeys have a greyhound-like build.) The ventrum is white, as are legs and feet. Patas monkeys have whiskers on thes chin and a white moustache.
They have a narrow body, long legs for quadrupedal locomotion, and a prominent rib cage. (Some authors have noted that The eyes are directed forward for binocular vision. incisors are spatulate, canines conspicuous, and molars are bilophodont. The dental formula is 2/2,1/1,2/2,3/3=32. The nostrils are narrow, close together, and pointed downward (catarrhine).
The body is about 50 to 70 cm, with the reddish-colored tail adding about the same amount to the total length. Weights range between 7 and 13 kg.
Sexual dimorphism is present. The midfacial region (skull) of the male patas monkey is hypertrophied compared to females. Overall body size of males tends to be larger than females due to prolonged and accelerated growth.
Range mass: 7 to 13 kg.
Range length: 50 to 70 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Average basal metabolic rate: 5.958 W.
- Barbara B. Smuts, D., R. Robert M. Seyfarth, Thomas T. Struhsaker. 1987. Primate Societies. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
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Type Information
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Male;
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): J. White
Year Collected: 1908
Locality: Nzoia River, Guas Ngishu Plateau, Kenya, Africa
- Type: Hollister, N. 1910 Mar 31. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 56 (2): 11.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Patas Monkeys often use artificial water sources and fences to sit on and scan from. In all areas in which they were encountered in Kenya, they were somewhat habituated to humans, mainly to pastoralists, farmers and 'monkey chasers' in crop fields. In Busia District (Kenya), they have adapted to an area with a high human population with little to no natural vegetation left, and included maize and other crops in their diet (De Jong et al. in press).
E. patas is a diurnal species which lives in groups averaging 15 individuals, with an extensive home range (e.g., 51.8 sq. km for one group of 31 individuals). Burnham (2004) reported longer day journey lengths for all-male groups compared with social groups in the same area of Laikipia (mean for males: 7.3 km; females: 4.7 km), with male home ranges approximately twice the size of social groups. At night, groups may be spread over an area of 250,000 m², and so is protected from severe loss to predators.
Systems
- Terrestrial
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Habitat
Patas monkeys are found in open country. They live mainly in savanna and woodland habitats since they are predominantly terrestrial. They are typically found in grass savanna, dry and dense woodlands with tall grass, and on grass steppe with thicket clumps. They can tolerate arid conditions, and some of them have been found close to the southern edge of the Sahara desert. However, there are a few exceptions. Some individuals have been seen in moist woodlands. Deforestation has caused these monkeys to be found in man-made clearings in the forest. Finally, they have also been seen in the zone of flooding in the delta of the Senegal River. An area such as the Senegal River does provide the necessary amount of water for patas monkeys to survive. In the drier areas in which patas monkeys typically live, water can be a limiting factor. Patas monkeys avoid areas with dense cover, perhaps due to exposure to predators. The population density of patas monkeys is approximatley 1.5 individuals per km2.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest
Other Habitat Features: riparian
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Patas monkeys are omnivorous. The diet consists mainly of fruits and insects but also includes leaves, roots, and bird eggs. They have also been found to subsist on either animal or vegetable substances.
Animal Foods: eggs; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; fruit; flowers
Primary Diet: omnivore
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Associations
Ecosystem Roles
As fruit eaters, it is likely that patas monkeys help to disperse seeds. As predators, they may influence populations of the species upon which they prey. They may also have some positive impact on populations of organisms which prey upon them. They may have some roles in competing with other terrestrial primates of the savanna.
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Predation
Details on predation of this species are not available, so no predators are "known". However, it is likely that patas monkeys fall victim to the standard predators of the subsaharan African savanna: lions, cheetah, African hunting dogs, jackels, brown hyenas, spotted hyenas, snakes, and raptors.
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Life History and Behavior
Behavior
Communication and Perception
Communication in all primate species is complex. Because these animals are social, it is likely that visual signals such as body postures and facial expressions play important roles in communication. Vocalizations have been recorded under many different circumstances. Physical contact, through grooming, aggression, and playing, are also important in primate communication. Although no specifically recorded for these monkeys, it is likely that some scent cues are used in reproduction.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; acoustic
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Life Expectancy
Lifespan/Longevity
Captive lifespan may reach as much as 24 years. It is likely that the lifespan in wild populations is lower than this.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 24 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 21.0 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 21.6 years.
Average lifespan
Sex: female
Status: captivity: 21.7 years.
Average lifespan
Sex: female
Status: captivity: 23.9 years.
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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Reproduction
Reproduction
Males transfer between groups when sexual maturity is attained. They wait for females to approach them to begin mating. Males may have offspring with more than one female. The usual mating system is "harem" polygyny. However, it has been observed that extragroup males may join a group temporarily during a breeding season.
In "harem" groups, there is one male who reproduces with several females. Evidence for polygyny has been the fact that most groups contain only one adult male, and most males attempt to chase and threaten foreign males. Competiton among males for reproductive females is intense in polygynous species such as patas monkeys because of the differences in reproductive success between resident and exragroup males.
Promiscuous (polygynandrous) mating can happen among patas monkeys. Promiscuous events have been observed in which several males, from two to nineteen, joined a group during a breeding season. During these events, both males and females copulated and both were promiscuous.
Mating System: polygynous ; polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Timing of reproduction seems to vary somewhat with geography. Mating in some populations takes place in June through September, and young are born between November and January. The age of sexual maturity is 4 to 4.5 years old in males and 3 years in females. Females can produce offspring annually, and they have short interbirth intervals. This interval may be less than twelve months.
The gestation period of patas monkeys has been estimated at 170 days. However, it is difficult to know the exact gestation period because the females show no external signs of estrus. Also, females in captivity can go through postconception estrus. Therefore, it is difficult to reliably estimate gestation periods in wild patas monkeys based on captive specimans.
Females give birth to a single young. Although data are lacking for this species, it is likely that the nursing period extends for several months, based upon that seen in other, similar-sized guenons.
Breeding interval: Patas monkeys are annual breeders, and they have short interbirth intervals
Breeding season: Breeding is typically seasonal, with most births occurring between December and January.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average gestation period: 170 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 3 years.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 4 to 4.5 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); fertilization ; viviparous
Average birth mass: 504.5 g.
Average gestation period: 167 days.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 956 days.
Female patas monkeys nurse and care for their young until they become independent. Female offspring remain in their natal group and associate with their mothers their entire lives.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); post-independence association with parents; extended period of juvenile learning
- Nowak, R. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Barbara B. Smuts, D., R. Robert M. Seyfarth, Thomas T. Struhsaker. 1987. Primate Societies. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Erythrocebus patas
Public Records: 0
Species: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Justification
History
- 2000Lower Risk/least concern
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern
- 1988Not Threatened
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Conservation Status
The conservation of patas monkeys is critical because of their already small population size, limited geographic range and the current destruction of their habitats. Hunting by humans has increased progressively, especially in West Africa. In areas where hunting occurs, mortality from hunting may obscure biological interactions that otherwise limit populations. Hunters kill patas monkeys for meat in the Ivory Coast. The mountain Nuba people and tribal groups also hunt patas monkeys. Many farmers and plantation owners shoot these monkeys when they raid their crops. Patas monkeys are collected and sold as pets or they are sold to medical research institutions. Over 1000 patas monkeys are collected per year.
There are now eighteen national parks and eleven reserves in which patas monkeys can be found. Some measures have been made to limit the number exported from these national parks and reserves. In Cameroon, exportation requires a permit.
Habitat expansion of patas monkeys is also occurring in places such as Senegal and East Africa as a result of deforestation and drought, which create habitats similar to those preferred by patas monkeys.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: appendix ii
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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Threats
Threats
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Management
Conservation Actions
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Patas monkeys frequently raid crops. During these raids, they steal millet, bannas, peanuts, wheat, and dates. In some areas in Sudan, they feed in pineapple plantations, and they also destroy cotton plants by eating the flowers.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Patas monkeys are sometimes hunted for meat. They are sold in the pet trade, and they sometimes play a role in medical research.
Positive Impacts: pet trade ; food ; research and education
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Wikipedia
Patas monkey
The patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas), also known as the Wadi monkey or Hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa. It is the only species classified in the genus Erythrocebus. Recent phylogenetic evidence[citation needed] indicates that it is the closest relative of the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops), suggesting nomenclatural revision.[verification needed]
Contents |
Appearance
The patas monkey grows to 85 cm (33 in) in length, excluding the tail, which measures 75 cm (30 in). Adult males are considerably larger than adult females. Reaching speeds of 55 km/h (34 mph), it is the fastest runner among the primates.[3]
Behavior
The patas monkey lives in multi-female groups of up to 60 individuals (although much larger aggregations have been reported). There is a weak dominance rank. The group contains just one adult male for most of the year.[4] During the breeding season, there are multi-male influxes into the group. Once juvenile males reach sexual maturity (around the age of 4 years old) they leave the group, usually joining all-male groups. The adult females in the group initiate movement of the group with the male following their lead.[4]
The patas monkey avoids dense woodlands and lives in more open savanna and semi-deserts. The patas monkey has a remarkably high reproductive rate, perhaps as an evolutionary response to the high adult mortality rates associated with this strongly terrestrial lifestyle.[5]
Diet
The patas monkey feeds on insects, gum, seeds, and tubers, a diet more characteristic of much smaller primates.[6]
Classification
There is some confusion surrounding the number of valid subspecies, with some listing four,[7] and others listing two; the western Erythrocebus patas patas (Common Patas; with a black nose) and the eastern Erythrocebus patas pyrrhonotus (Nisnas; with a white nose). Others, however, have suggested that at least some of the features used to separate these subspecies merely are variations in the female's facial pattern during pregnancy.[1] On the other hand, the change in the nose during pregnancy occurs only in the West African populations.
Additional images
Endnotes
- ^ a b Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. eds. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 160. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100520.
- ^ Kingdon, J., Butynski, T. M. & De Jong, Y. (2008). Erythrocebus patas. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 4 January 2009.
- ^ Arsuaga & Ignacio 2006, p. 18
- ^ a b Hall 1965, pp. 15–87
- ^ Isbell et al. 2009, pp. 103–124
- ^ Isbell 1998, pp. 381–398
- ^ Kingdon 1997, pp. 57–58
References
- Arsuaga, Juan Luis; Ignacio, Martínez (2006) [1997]. The Chosen Species: The Long March of Human Evolution. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4051-1532-2.
- Hall, K. R. L. (July 8 1965). "Behaviour and ecology of the wild Patas monkey, Erythrocebus patas, in Uganda". Journal of Zoology (The Zoological Society of London) 148 (1). doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1966.tb02942.x.
- Kingdon, J. (1997). The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press Limited, London. ISBN 0-12-408355-2.
- Isbell, L.A. (1998). "Diet for a small primate: insectivory and gummivory in the (large) patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas)". American Journal of Primatology 45 (4). doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2345(1998)45:4<381::AID-AJP5>3.0.CO;2-S. PMID 9702283.
- Isbell, L.A., et al.; Young, TP; Jaffe, KE; Carlson, AA (2009). "Demography and life history of sympatric patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) and vervets (Cercopithecus aethiops) in Laikipia, Kenya.". International Journal of Primatology 30 (1): 103–124. doi:10.1007/s10764-009-9332-7. PMC 2949556. PMID 20976285. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2949556.
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