Angolan Colobus

Kingdom Order Family Genus Species
Animalia Primates Cercopithecidae Colobus Colobus angolensis
Angola Colobus
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
  • Common Name: Angola Colobus
  • Taxonomy Classification Year: 1860
  • Monkey Size: 50 to 70 cm (19.7 to 27.6 inches)
  • Skin Color(s): Glossy black
  • Habitat: Forests, rainforests, thickets
  • Diet: Herbivorous
  • Native Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania

Angola Colobus Distribution

Angolan Colobus Characteristics

Angolan Colobus

The Angolan Colobus[1] is a conspicuously-patterned monkey with a very long tail that helps it maintain its balance as it moves quickly through the trees.

  • Angolan Colobuses feed mainly on leaves in various types of forests and live in social groups composed of a single dominant male and many females.
  • Angolan colobus monkeys have distinctive black-and-white furs, like their black-and-white-mantled guereza cousins (Colobus guereza).
  • Still, they are distinguished by long, silky white hair framing their black faces and falling over their shoulders like royal epaulettes.
  • Angolan Colobus’ long tails fade from black to white on the lower half. Like other colobus monkeys, they have an opposable finger and a reduced thumb.
  • Their slender, curved fingers form a single, flexible hook, an adaptation that helps them navigate canopy branches more easily.
  • Colobus monkeys also share flattened nails, hind feet that are longer than the front feet, and prominent pads on the buttocks.

Angolan Colobus Facts

Colobus Angolensis

  • Although the species is named after Angola, it’s rare in this country.
  • Angolan Colobuses are diurnal and live in groups of 25 individuals with a dominant male, 2 to 6 females, and their young.
  • The name “Colobus” means “incomplete” or “short” and refers to the underdeveloped thumb of the species.
  • The animals are considered sacred in West Africa due to their shy, reserved, and unapproachable nature.
  • When a social group is threatened, the male will jump and roar until the rest of the pack has fled.

Suggested Reading: Big Types of Monkeys

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BioExplorer.net. (2024, March 28). Angolan Colobus. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/angolan-colobus/.
BioExplorer.net. "Angolan Colobus" Bio Explorer, 28 March 2024, https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/angolan-colobus/.
BioExplorer.net. "Angolan Colobus" Bio Explorer, March 28 2024. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/angolan-colobus/.
Key References
  • [1]“Angolan Colobus Monkey | Zoo Atlanta”. Accessed July 31, 2022. Link.

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