Biology:Agile mangabey

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Short description: Species of Old World monkey

Agile mangabey[1]
Cercocebus agilis.jpg
Agile mangabey illustration
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Cercocebus
Species:
C. agilis
Binomial name
Cercocebus agilis
(Milne-Edwards, 1886)
Agile Mangabey area.png
Agile mangabey range

The agile mangabey (Cercocebus agilis) is an Old World monkey of the white-eyelid mangabey group found in swampy forests of Central Africa in Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, and DR Congo.[1] Until 1978, it was considered a subspecies of the Tana River mangabey (C. galeritus).[3] More recently, the golden-bellied mangabey (C. chrysogaster) has been considered a separate species instead of a subspecies of the agile mangabey.[1]

Physical characteristics

The agile mangabey has a short, overall dull olive-grey pelage.[4] The bare skin of the face and feet is blackish.[5] Males are 51–65 centimeters (20–26 inches) in length and weigh about 7–13 kilograms (15–29 lb), while the smaller females are 44–55 centimeters (17–22 inches) and weigh 5–7 kilograms (11–15 lb).[4]

Behavior

Similar to other mangabeys, they are diurnal.[3] Although generally arboreal, they do spend a significant portion of their time (12–22%) on the ground,[5] especially during the dry season. It is typically more commonly heard than seen,[4] and males have a loud, species-specific call that is believed to be used to space themselves out.[3] Other calls are also used to maintain group cohesion and warn of predators.[5] Group size can be as high as 18 members, led by a single adult male. Group meetings can be friendly and may involve exchange of members. Adult males not in groups often travel singly.[4]

Diet

Fruit makes up a major portion of the agile mangabey diet. They are known to eat at least 42 different species of fruit.[5] Their tooth structure and powerful jaws allows them to open tough pods and fruits that many other monkeys can not access.[5] Agile mangabeys eat from a number of dominant swamp-forest trees, including dika nuts and sugar plums, when they are fruiting.[4] They also eat fresh leaf shoots from raffia palms when fruits are scarce. Grasses and mushrooms,[4] as well as insects, other invertebrates, bird's eggs and some vertebrate prey, such as rodents, are also eaten.[5]

Other

Agile mangabeys are known to contract T-cell leukemia virus, similar to the leukemia virus that infects humans.[6] There is also evidence that they contract Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a virus related to human HIV that infects certain apes and monkeys.[7] They have rarely been kept in captivity,[5] with only three individuals held in Species360 registered institutions in July 2008.[8]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Groves, C.P. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M.. eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 153. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100426. 
  2. Maisels, F.; Hicks, T.C.; Hart, J.; Shah, N. (2020). "Cercocebus agilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T136615A167735266. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T136615A167735266.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136615/167735266. Retrieved 19 November 2021. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Rowe, Noel (1996). The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. p. 144. ISBN 0-9648825-0-7. https://archive.org/details/pictorialguideto0000rowe. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Kingdon, Jonathan (1997). The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. p. 44. ISBN 0-12-408355-2. https://archive.org/details/kingdonfieldguid00jona/page/44. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 "Agile Mangabey - Mangabey Species Survival Plan". http://www.mangabeyssp.org/Agile%20Mangabey.htm. 
  6. "Simian T-Cell Leukemia Virus (STLV) Infection in Wild Primate Populations in Cameroon: Evidence for Dual STLV Type 1 and Type 3 Infection in Agile Mangabeys (Cercocebus agilis)". http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/content/full/78/9/4700. 
  7. "Risk to Human Health from a Plethora of Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses in Primate Bushmeat". https://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol8no5/01-0522.htm. 
  8. "Cercocebus agilis agilis - International Species Information System Abstract". http://app.isis.org/abstracts/Abs70392.asp#2.0. 


Wikidata ☰ Q1344965 entry