Blue monkey
Cercopithecus mitis
Key identification features
A medium sized monkey with a long thick tail carried in a slight curve with a black terminal half of the tail. The back is horizontal when it is walking. The throat is white. Eyebrow and forehead hair projects forward forming a so called “diadem”. The call of the adults is a distinctive explosive loud “pwy” similar to the sound you make when you suck your lips in and then separate them. Females: HB 43-52 cm. Wt.3.5-5.5 kg. Males: HB 48-70 cm. Wt.5.5-12 kg
The Sykes monkey albogularis a subspecies occurring in Tanzania has black forelimbs and lacks a well defined diadem. The upperparts are greenish to reddish often with a red saddle.
Stuhlmanni and elgonis are very dark greyish blue subspecies with a sharply defined lighter greyish blue “diadem”.
Habitat and social behaviour
It occurs in high forest, galleries and wooded savannah. It is a diurnal and arboreal (tree dwelling) monkey that lives in small family troops of usually 4-6 up to 12 members.
Similar species
Vervet monkeys are smaller and have a black face surrounded by contrasting white. The central African red colobus has long red fur on the shoulder and only the extremities of the limbs are dark coloured and the hands lack thumbs. Baboons are much larger.
Distribution Map
Historical Distribution Map
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References for historical distribution map
Photo gallery
