Black-crested mangabey

• Common Name: Black Crested Mangabey
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1890
• Monkey Size: 38 to 88 cm (15 to 35 in)
• Skin Color(s): Black
• Habitat: rainforests, forests, and swamp lands
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola

Black-crested mangabeys^[1], also known as black mangabeys, are endemic to central Africa, occupying the Democratic Republic of the Congo, south of the Congo River (formerly known as the Zaire River), and likely extinct in Angola.

• They are mainly found in primary and secondary tropical forests, gallery forests, and swamps.
• Slender monkeys with long hair and limbs, black-crested mangabeys are distinguished from other mangabeys by the spiky crest of black hair that rests on their heads.
• They have dark skin, dark eyelids, and narrow-fitting nostrils similar to those of a baboon, which is why they are often called “baboon mangabeys“.
• They also have long brown or grey-brown whiskers almost completely covering their ears.
• Large cheek pouches allow these monkeys to stuff their face with food when roaming the forest for long periods.

• Locals nicknamed these primates “baboon mangabeys” due to their resemblance to the baboon species.
• To help with locomotive balance, the black-crested mangabey’s tail is longer than its body. As a result, it is carried upright, taking on a shape similar to a question mark.
• Living in a group with multiple males and females of 9 to 16 individuals, the home range of each group may overlap with the home range of another group, as each group may occupy an area of ​​118 to 173 acres.
• These mangabeys are very vocal, giving out loud calls to keep distance between groups.
• Same-sex baboon mangabeys mount each other as a means of non-sexual tactile communication and to demonstrate dominance.