Preuss's Monkey
Encyclopedia
Preuss's monkey also known as Preuss's guenon, is a diurnal
primate
that lives terrestrial
ly in mountainous (up to 2500 m) forests of eastern Nigeria
, western Cameroon
and Bioko
in Equatorial Guinea
. It is sometimes classified as a subspecies of the L'Hoest's monkey
(C. lhoesti).
The diet of Preuss's monkey is primarily fruit, leaves and insects, although the species occasionally raids human crops. It is darkish in coloration with a white chin, and adult males have a blue scrotum. Preuss's monkeys weigh up to 10 kg. Troops consist of one adult male and several females and adolescents, averaging 17 total per troop. Females give birth to a single offspring about once every three years. The young mature at 4 years and live to be an average of 31 years.
Preuss's monkey is an endangered species, due to habitat loss and hunting. It is one of the species that live in the Guinean Forests
of the West Africa
Biodiversity Hotspot
.
There are two subspecies of Preuss's monkey:
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
that lives terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
ly in mountainous (up to 2500 m) forests of eastern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, western Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and Bioko
Bioko
Bioko is an island 32 km off the west coast of Africa, specifically Cameroon, in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea with a population of 124,000 and an area of . It is volcanic with its highest peak the Pico Basile at .-Geography:Bioko has a total area of...
in Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
. It is sometimes classified as a subspecies of the L'Hoest's monkey
L'Hoest's Monkey
L'Hoest's monkey , or mountain monkey, is a guenon found in the upper eastern Congo basin. They mostly live in mountainous forest areas in small, female-dominated groups...
(C. lhoesti).
The diet of Preuss's monkey is primarily fruit, leaves and insects, although the species occasionally raids human crops. It is darkish in coloration with a white chin, and adult males have a blue scrotum. Preuss's monkeys weigh up to 10 kg. Troops consist of one adult male and several females and adolescents, averaging 17 total per troop. Females give birth to a single offspring about once every three years. The young mature at 4 years and live to be an average of 31 years.
Preuss's monkey is an endangered species, due to habitat loss and hunting. It is one of the species that live in the Guinean Forests
Guinean Forests of West Africa
The Guinean forests of West Africa is a biodiversity hotspot designated by Conservation International, which includes the belt of tropical moist broadleaf forests along the coast of West Africa, running from Sierra Leone and Guinea in the west to the Sanaga River of Cameroon in the east...
of the West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
Biodiversity Hotspot
Biodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” , revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in...
.
There are two subspecies of Preuss's monkey:
- Cameroon Preuss's monkey, Cercopithecus preussi preussi
- Bioko Preuss's monkey, Cercopithecus preussi insularis