Bouvier’s Red Colobus

• Common Name: Bouvier’s Red Colobus
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1887
• Monkey Size: 53 to 63 cm (21 to 25 in)
• Skin Color(s): Brownish-red
• Habitat: Forest, rainforest
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo

Bouvier’s red colobus^[1] was rediscovered in 2015 in the Republic of Congo after four decades without confirmed sightings.

• Bouvier’s red colobus has a lighter reddish-brown coat on its body than its closest relative, Bioko’s red colobus (Piliocolobus pennantii pennantii).
• Its head sports a patch of black to chocolate brown pelage smaller than Bioko’s red colobus. A band of black fur stretches from above the eyes to the temples.
• The monkey’s eyes are surrounded by large pinkish circles. Bouvier’s red colobus’ tail is long compared to its small body and is dark brown at the root, fading to brownish-red at the tip.
• The pelage on the underside of the species is lighter than that on the back.

• Bouvier’s red colobus monkeys show significant facial variation between individuals, ranging from a light flesh color with blackish cheeks and eyebrows to darker shading over the entire face except for the lips and nose.
• Bouvier’s red colobus lives in the swampy forests surrounding the Congo River, between the mouths of the Oubangui and Alima rivers.
• It shows no fear of humans, making it an easy target for bushmeat hunters.
• They have a long tail used for balance only and are non-prehensile.
• Like other red colobuses, the Bouvier red colobus lives in groups that may consist of 12 to 80 individuals and occupy a territory of 25 to 150 hectares.