Black & White Colobus Monkey
Black & White Colobus Monkey
Colobus guereza
Black fur, a white face and long-haired white capes make black and white colobus monkeys look a bit like tree skunks. White colobus monkeys spend their days eating, relaxing, and socializing with each other, generally without squabbling. Males defend their group and its territory from others with roars, tongue-clicks, chases, and an unusual stiff-legged display.
Interesting Facts
- Colobus monkeys have multi-chambered stomachs that allow them to digest leaves and unripe fruit other monkeys can’t.
- The word ‘colobus’ derives from the Greek word for ‘mutilated.’ They were given this name by European biologists because they lack functional thumbs.
- The male head of a colobus group announces its presence and location each morning with a series of loud, long roars.
- The practice of eating leaves is called “folivory.”
- Black and white colobus monkeys are occasionally hunted for their striking fur, which has been used for everything from costumes and coat trim to rugs. Colobus monkeys, in turn, are eaten by crowned hawk-eagles, chimpanzees, and leopards.