Mandrill - Mandrillus sphinx
Habitat:
Tropical Forest
Range:
The tropical forests of Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Southwest Congo
Activity Cycle:
Diurnal
Features:
Mandrills are a close relative to the baboon. They have a thick coat that ranges in color from dark brown to olive green. Males have a bright red and vibrant blue cheeks as well as a blue bottom. Females and juveniles are slightly less colorful than the males with females being about half the size of males. They are one of the largest species of monkeys.
Size:
weight: 35 to 55 Pounds
Social Structure:
Usually live in groups of 15 to 100 members, but groups sometimes can be as large as 200 only when food is readily available. Groups consist of at least one male and five females. Males are responsible for protecting the group. The leader of the group has the boldest and brightest colors.
Life Expectancy:
Up to 40 years
Diet:
Browser – eats a highly varied diet of fruits, nuts, melons, seeds, fungi, roots, insects, snails, worms, frogs, and lizards. Most all food is found on the forest floor. Often times the male searches for the food while the females and young state in the trees waiting for him to come back.
Reproduction:
Mandrills breed every two years between July and October. Gestation lasts 250 days until the mother gives birth to, usually, a single young. The baby mandrill then clings to the mothers back or belly until it matures. It will be four the eight years before the adolescent Mandrill reaches sexual maturity.
Status:
Endangered according to the USFWS and vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List. They are under Appendix I of CITES and are part of an AZA Species Survival Plan.
Interesting Facts:
- “Mandrill” is actually two words. “Man” simply means “man-like,” while “drill” is a West African name for the animal.
- Mandrills have a unique pouch on the inside of their cheeks. They can use these pouches to store food to be eaten later, while still having use of all of their limbs.
- Communicate through scent marking, vocalization, and body language.
AZA cooperatively manages this species as a Species Survival Plan® Program.
Video:
Socialize
