Grivet
Encyclopedia
The grivet is an Old World monkey
with long white tufts of hair along the sides of the face. Some authorities consider this and all of the members of the genus Chlorocebus
to be a single species, Cercopithecus aethiops. As here defined, the grivet is restricted to Ethiopia
, Sudan
, Djibouti
and Eritrea
. In the southern part of its range it comes into contact with the closely related vervet monkey
(C. pygerythrus) and Bale Mountains vervet
(C. djamdjamensis). Hybridization between them is possible, and may present a threat to the vulnerable Bale Mountains Vervet. Unlike that species, the Grivet is common and rated as Least Concern
by the IUCN.
ally except when using both hands for carrying, when it manages to walk and run quite comfortably on two legs. Groups can range from 5 to even 70 or higher.
east of the White Nile
, Eritrea
, and Ethiopia
east to the Rift Valley
. It is also found in Djibouti
and Eritrea
. The Grivet needs to live around a source of water especially during the dry season. It is able to adapt to many environments.
. It will also scavenge for human food. It must drink water daily especially in the dry seasons. It is one of few species that has multi-male groups that are of moderate size. There is a hierarchy of males and it shows its dominance by putting its tail in a stiff upright position and strolling past lower ranked males.
Females will have a limited number of mates while males will have numerous. Swelling of the females vulva alerts males as to when the females are in heat. Giving birth to one baby at a time is common and the pregnancy usually lasts 2 to 3 months. When the baby is born the mother will clean the infant and bite off the umbilical cord. Young have a pink face and black hair. It will take around 2 months for them to get their adult coat. The first couple of months the infant will stay very close to its mother, but after 6 months the infant is weaned.
throughout Africa. They are killed for either commercial or subsistence purposes. Although not endangered, it is threatened through destruction of habitat by way of disappearing forests. It is preyed on by large snakes, leopards, humans and sometimes baboons. The Grivet generally lives 11 to 13 years.
Old World monkey
The Old World monkeys or Cercopithecidae are a group of primates, falling in the superfamily Cercopithecoidea in the clade Catarrhini. The Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia today, inhabiting a range of environments from tropical rain forest to savanna, shrubland and mountainous...
with long white tufts of hair along the sides of the face. Some authorities consider this and all of the members of the genus Chlorocebus
Chlorocebus
Chlorocebus is a genus of medium-sized primates from the family of Old World monkeys. There are six species currently recognized, although some classify them all as a single species with numerous subspecies...
to be a single species, Cercopithecus aethiops. As here defined, the grivet is restricted to Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
and Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
. In the southern part of its range it comes into contact with the closely related vervet monkey
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey , or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus....
(C. pygerythrus) and Bale Mountains vervet
Bale Mountains Vervet
The Bale Mountains vervet is a terrestrial Old World monkey endemic to Ethiopia, found in the bamboo forests of the Bale Mountains. It was originally described as a subspecies of the grivet . All species in Chlorocebus were formerly in the genus Cercopithecus....
(C. djamdjamensis). Hybridization between them is possible, and may present a threat to the vulnerable Bale Mountains Vervet. Unlike that species, the Grivet is common and rated as Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by the IUCN.
Characteristics
The grivet's facial skin, hands, and feet are black. The face has a white line above the eyes. It has long white whiskers on the cheeks. The fur on the back has an olive color while the front is white fur. The skin on the stomach has a blue tint. The fur has a bristly feel. The approximate head to body length for males is 19.5 inches or 49 centimeters for males and females with a shorter distance of 17 inches or 42.5 centimeters. The length of the tail for males is approximately 22 inches or 56 centimeters. The body mass ranges from 3 to 5 kilograms or approximately for males is 9 pounds 6 ounces or 4.25 kilograms and for smaller females it is 6 pounds 10 ounces or 3 kilograms. It travels in packs and usually moves on all fours or quadrupedQuadruped
Quadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...
ally except when using both hands for carrying, when it manages to walk and run quite comfortably on two legs. Groups can range from 5 to even 70 or higher.
Habitat
The main habitat of the grivet is savanna woodlands. Its range is SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
east of the White Nile
White Nile
The White Nile is a river of Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile from Egypt, the other being the Blue Nile. In the strict meaning, "White Nile" refers to the river formed at Lake No at the confluence of the Bahr al Jabal and Bahr el Ghazal rivers...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
east to the Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
. It is also found in Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
and Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
. The Grivet needs to live around a source of water especially during the dry season. It is able to adapt to many environments.
Behavior
The grivet is most active in the morning and in early evening. It stays on the ground most of the day to eat and at night it sleeps in trees. The Grivet spends a lot of time grooming, playing, climbing, and play fighting; all of these things help to ensure its survival. Its eating habits consist of eating mostly fruits, vegetables, and sometimes small mammals, insects, and birds making it an omnivoreOmnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
. It will also scavenge for human food. It must drink water daily especially in the dry seasons. It is one of few species that has multi-male groups that are of moderate size. There is a hierarchy of males and it shows its dominance by putting its tail in a stiff upright position and strolling past lower ranked males.
Females will have a limited number of mates while males will have numerous. Swelling of the females vulva alerts males as to when the females are in heat. Giving birth to one baby at a time is common and the pregnancy usually lasts 2 to 3 months. When the baby is born the mother will clean the infant and bite off the umbilical cord. Young have a pink face and black hair. It will take around 2 months for them to get their adult coat. The first couple of months the infant will stay very close to its mother, but after 6 months the infant is weaned.
Significance
The grivet is occasionally hunted as bushmeatBushmeat
Bushmeat initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa and is a calque from the French viande de brousse. Today the term is commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas,...
throughout Africa. They are killed for either commercial or subsistence purposes. Although not endangered, it is threatened through destruction of habitat by way of disappearing forests. It is preyed on by large snakes, leopards, humans and sometimes baboons. The Grivet generally lives 11 to 13 years.