Lowe’s Mona Monkey

• Common Name: Lowe’s Mona Monkey
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1923
• Monkey Size: 41 to 63 (16 to 25 in)
• Skin Color(s): Brownish-yellow
• Habitat: Forest, rainforest, scrub forest
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Ghana, Ivory Coast

Lowe’s Mona monkey^[1] (Cercopithecus lowei) is an Old-World monkey in the Cercopithecidae family found from Ghana to the Ivory Coast.

• It was previously classified as a subspecies of Campbell’s mona monkey, Cercopithecus campbelli.
• Lowe’s Mona monkeys have interesting coloration with black or gray arms, legs, lower back, a brownish-yellow upper back, and a large, puffy, white ruff on the chest.
• The upper half of their face is yellow, and the sides are grey. The center of their face is bald and primarily grey, with pink under their nose.
• Their amber eyes are large and expressive. They have long, thin, black tail that helps them move through the forest.
• There is no sexual dimorphism apart from the larger size of the males.

The Lowe’s Mona Monkey consumes many plant matters including^[¶]:

• Raphia Palm (Raphia africana).
• Leaf Flower (Phyllanthus)
• Persimmons (Diospyros)
• Fig (Ficus)
• Guanabanilla (Ouratea striata)
• Boleko Nut (Ongokea gore).
• Ohia (Celtis zenkeri)
• African Nutmeg (Pycnanthus angolensis).
• Chinalaurel (Antidesma)
• Chinese Banyan (Ficus thonningii).
• Hairy Rock Fig (Ficus glumosa).
• Sacred Garlic Pear (Crateva religiosa).

• Lowe’s Mona monkeys generally consist of one male and several females. However, bachelor groups of males and groups with several males and several females have also been observed.
• Females within the group tend to be very social, with males interacting less frequently with other group members.
• Females, who make up the majority of adults in a group, have a much wider range of vocalizations than males, including types of calls to indicate distress, threat, and contact with another group.
• Around dawn and dusk, the dominant male will climb a post in an emerging tree and give a series of booms.
• Lowe’s Mona Monkey is a slow and deliberate collector.