Mammals · Primates · Cercopithecidae

Red-tailed Monkey

Cercopithecus ascanius

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The red-tailed monkey is a small, striking primate of the forests of Central Africa, with a white heart-shaped patch covering its nose, white cheeks and a chestnut-red tail. It lives in groups of a single male and several females, and frequently associates with other guenons and colobus monkeys. It is omnivorous and highly opportunistic: fruit, leaves, flowers, insects and occasionally eggs and small vertebrates.

Weight

2.5 kg – 4.5 kg

Size

40 cm – 55 cm

Lifespan

28 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestOmnivore Diurnal Rainforest Mammal

23countries 4parks44same family

Fun facts

Its cheek pouches let it stuff itself with fruit at speed in a contested tree and withdraw somewhere quiet to eat, a strategy that reduces fighting within the group.
It forms stable mixed groups with the blue monkey, with which it shares territory and lookout duty, and fertile hybrids between the two species have been documented in the wild.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Primary and secondary rainforest, gallery forest and swamp forest of Central Africa
Sexual maturity: 4.5 years
Gestation / incubation: 4.8 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercopithecus_ascanius