Gray Cheeked Mangabey

Kingdom Order Family Genus Species
Animalia Primates Cercopithecidae Lophocebus Lophocebus albigena
Gray-cheeked Mangabey
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
  • Common Name: Gray-cheeked Mangabey
  • Taxonomy Classification Year: 1850
  • Monkey Size: 43 to 73 cm (17 to 29 in)
  • Skin Color(s): Gray or Blackish Gray
  • Habitat: Forest, rainforest
  • Diet: Omnivorous
  • Native Countries: Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, Gabon

Gray-cheeked Mangabey Distribution

Gray-Cheeked Mangabey Characteristics

Gray Cheeked Mangabey

The gray-cheeked mangabey[1] (Lophocebus albigena), also called the white-cheeked mangabey, is an Old World monkey found in the forests of central Africa.

  • The gray-cheeked mangabey is a sizeable arboreal primate with gray and often whitish cheeks.
  • Their long, lanky bodies are dark or black gray. L.a. albigena, a nominate subspecies, typically has a black spot on the nape and withers (the area between the shoulder blades).
  • The hair on their head is scruffy and long, resembling small horns above their eyebrows.
  • Their face, eyes, and skin are also dark. In addition, their chest and front legs are heavier than the rest of the body.
  • The long gray or brown hairs on the shoulders and neck form a cape. They have long tails and long limbs that give them balance when running through the forest.
  • Their tail is somewhat prehensile and powerful enough to grab onto branches while leaping through trees.

What Do Gray-cheeked Mangabeys Eat?

What Do Gray Cheeked Mangabeys Eat?

Based on the detailed research published in the African Journal of ecology, the Gray-cheeked Mangabey feeds on these food sources not limited to[¶]:

  • Hexapoda (Insecta)
  • Boleko Nut (Ongokea gore).
  • Butter Tree (Pentadesma butyracea).
  • African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis).
  • African Nutmeg (Pycnanthus angolensis).
  • African Teak (Milicia excelsa).
  • African Mammee-Apple (Mammea africana).
  • Horsewood (Clausena anisata)
  • Fig (Ficus)
  • Chinese Banyan (Ficus thonningii).
  • Broom Cluster Fig (Ficus sur).
  • Umbrella Tree (Musanga cecropioides).
  • Boarwood (Symphonia globulifera)
  • Calabash Nutmeg (Monodora myristica).
  • Pokeweed (Phytolacca)
  • Aframomum (Aframomum)
  • Treebind (Cissus)
  • Moambé Jaune (Annickia chlorantha).
  • Emien (Alstonia boonei)
  • Velvet Tamarind (Dialium guineense).
  • Umbrella-Tree (Maesopsis)
  • Trichilia (Trichilia)
  • Djave (Baillonella toxisperma)
  • Inoi Nut (Poga oleosa).
  • Rattan Palm (Eremospatha macrocarpa).
  • Red-Fruited Stinkwood (Celtis mildbraedii).
  • Olon Tendre (Zanthoxylum heitzii).
  • Tropical Almond (Terminalia)
  • Tallow Tree (Allanblackia floribunda).
  • Raffia Palm (Raphia)
  • Persimmons (Diospyros)
  • Hackberry (Celtis)

What Eats Gray-cheeked Mangabeys?

What Eats Gray Cheeked Mangabeys? Crowned Eagles

Humans (Homo sapiens), Crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) and Leopards (Panthera pardus) are the primary predators of Gray-cheeked Mangabeys[§].

Gray-Cheeked Mangabey Facts

Lophocebus Albigena

  • Gray-cheeked mangabeys belong to the same family (Cercopithecinae) and phylum (Papionini) as mandrills, macaques, and baboons. In fact, they are also sometimes called baboon mangabeys.
  • A single infant is usually born with soft fur and open eyes.
  • If enough food is available, groups of mangabeys will congregate for a while and even group party members.
  • Like baboons, a female mangabey’s buttocks swell and turn pink when they are ready to breed.
  • Gray-cheeked mangabey life expectancy varies depending on diet. For example, troops eating hard-shelled nuts can wear down their teeth much faster and die younger than those eating a softer diet.

Suggested Reading: All Types of Monkeys

Cite This Page

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BioExplorer.net. (2024, March 28). Gray-Cheeked Mangabey. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/gray-cheeked-mangabey/.
BioExplorer.net. "Gray-Cheeked Mangabey" Bio Explorer, 28 March 2024, https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/gray-cheeked-mangabey/.
BioExplorer.net. "Gray-Cheeked Mangabey" Bio Explorer, March 28 2024. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/gray-cheeked-mangabey/.
Key References
  • [1]“The Endemic Uganda Mangabey, Lophocebus ugandae, and Other Members of the Albigena-Group (Lophocebus)”. Accessed September 17, 2022. Link.
  • [¶] – Fricke, E.C., Svenning, J. Accelerating homogenization of the global plant-frugivore meta-network. Nature 585, 74-78 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2640-y.
  • [¶] – Seltzer, Carrie; Wysocki, William; Palacios, Melissa; Eickhoff, Anna; Pilla, Hannah; Aungst, Jordan; Mercer, Aaron; Quicho, Jamie; Voss, Neil; Xu, Man; J. Ndangalasi, Henry; C. Lovett, Jon; J. Cordeiro, Norbert (2015): Plant-animal interactions from Africa. figshare. https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1526128. De Boer, W.F. and Ntumi, C.P. and Correia, A.U. and Mafuca, J.M., 2000. Diet and distribution of elephant in the Maputo Elephant Reserve; Mozambique. African Journal of Ecology, 38(3), pp.188-201. https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/2231424
  • [¶] – fgabriel1891/Palm-Frugivore_Interactions_Neo-AfrotropicsZona, S. & Henderson, A. (1989) A review of animal mediated seed dispersal of palms. Selbyana, 11, 6-21. Online Update 2006 ((http://www.virtualherbarium.org/palms/psdispersal.html).
  • [¶] – fgabriel1891/Palm-Frugivore_Interactions_Neo-AfrotropicsPoulsen, J. R.; Clark, C. J.; Connor, E. F.; Smith, T. B.. 2002. Differential resource use by primates and hornbills: Implications for seed dispersal. Ecology. 228-240
  • [§] – 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.

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