Mammals · Primates · Cercopithecidae

Blue Monkey

Cercopithecus mitis

Least Concern

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

The blue monkey, or diademed guenon, is one of the most widespread primates in Africa, with dozens of subspecies described from Ethiopia to South Africa. It lives in groups made up of one adult male and several related females with their young. It feeds mainly on fruit and leaves, supplemented with insects. It is highly flexible in its choice of habitat: it occupies everything from cold montane forest to coastal woodland, which explains its enormous variability in appearance between regions.

Weight

4 kg – 8 kg

Size

50 cm – 65 cm

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestMountainOmnivore Diurnal Rainforest Temperate forest Mountain Mammal

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Fun facts

Despite its name it is not blue: its coat is olive grey and only in certain light does the skin of its face take on a bluish cast.
It frequently forms mixed groups with the red-tailed monkey, with which it shares territory and lookout duty against eagles, 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: Rainforest, montane forest, bamboo forest and gallery forest of sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual maturity: 4.6 years
Gestation / incubation: 4.3 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

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