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Kirk's red colobus (Zanzibar red colobus)
Piliocolobus kirkii
Key identification features
Red colobus monkeys have big bodies with a big pot-belly and relatively small heads. Their long backs slope forwards. Their limbs are long and they have moderately long tails without tufts. All colobus monkeys lack a thumb. Kirk's red colobus is red, black and white coloured, however the pattern can vary individually. It has a black face with contrasting pink around its lips and nose. The long tufts of white hair on the forehead form a characteristic crown. The under parts of the body including the inner parts of the limbs are white. Females: HB 45-62 cm, Wt 7-9kg. Males HB 45-70 cm. Wt 9-13 kg.
Habitat and social behaviour
Kirk's colobus occurs in relict patches of forest on Zanzibar. It is a wholly arboreal monkey that lives in large troops of up to 100 animals. They feed mainly in the morning and afternoon and they have a long midday rest to allow for digestion.
Similar species
The only red monkey found within its range.
Photo gallery
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See also
Iringa red colobus (Udzungwa red colobus) · Central African red colobus