Dent's Mona Monkey Characteristics | Cercopithecus Denti Diet & Facts

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Primates	Cercopithecidae	Cercopithecus	Cercopithecus denti

Common Name: Dent’s Mona monkey
Taxonomy Classification Year: 1907
Monkey Size: 44.5 to 51.1 cm (17.52 to 20.12 in)
Skin Color(s): Dark gray
Habitat: Rainforest
Diet: Omnivorous
Native Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Central African Republic

Dent’s Mona Monkey Distribution

Dent’s Mona Monkey Characteristics

The Dent’s mona monkey^[1] is an Old-World monkey in the Cercopithecidae family.

The expressive face of Dent’s mona monkey is characterized by golden eyes; a flat, long, dark nose; and a pink chin and mouth.
Dark fur cloaks the cheekbones, and long yellowish fur cloaks the lower part of the face.
Some yellowish strands grow out of the monkey’s chin. In addition, the bushy gray rim of the forehead (like a grandfather’s bushy eyebrows) turns into a reddish tuft that sits above each ear.
The back of this nimble monkey is covered with dark gray fur with a reddish spot in the center.
The front legs are dark gray to black, the hind legs are light reddish brown, and the undersides are white to pale yellow.
The tail of the Dent’s mona monkey is dark gray at the base, fading to black as the fur extends to the tip.

What Eats Dent’s Mona Monkey?

In the wild, Leopards (Panthera pardus) predate Dent’s Mona Monkeys among other primates^[§].

Dent’s Mona Monkey Facts

Dent mona monkeys have huge cheek pouches filled with gathered fruit when foraging, so they can enjoy a hearty fruit snack from a safe spot in the forest canopy.
Callus-like patches on this species’ rumps, scientifically called ischial callosities, provide monkeys with comfort when perched on tree branches or while resting.
Males have a blue scrotum, which scientists think may be important in attracting females.
Group size varies from 1 to 12 individuals, with a single male or alpha male leading a group of multiple females.
Dent mona monkeys are often found in the company of other primate species, most commonly with black-crested mangabeys, but also with colobus, bonobos, red-tailed monkeys, and other Vervet monkey species.

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Key References

^[1] – “Characterization of a novel vpu-harboring simian immunodeficiency virus from a Dent’s Mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona denti) – PubMed”. Accessed December 26, 2022. Link.
^[§] – Middleton, O.S, Svensson, H, Scharlemann, J.P.W, Faurby, S, Sandom, C.J. CarniDIET 1.0: A database of terrestrial carnivorous mammal diets. Global Ecology and Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13296. Craig, Christie A., Eleanor I. Brassine, and Daniel M. Parker. “A record of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) diet in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana.” African Journal of Ecology 55.4 (2017): 697-700.

Dent’s Mona Monkey