Highland Mangabey (Lophocebus kipunji)

MORPHOLOGY:
The pelage of the highland mangabey is light to medium brown on the dorsal side and off-white on the center of the ventral side (Jones et al., 2005). The hands and feet are black in coloration (Jones et al., 2005). The lower forelimbs of this species are dark brown to black (Jones et al., 2005). The distal half of the tail is off-white (Jones et al., 2005). The pelage of the tail is smooth (Jones et al., 2005). The crown has a crest of hair that is long and broad (Jones et al., 2005). The eyelids of the highland mangabey are black (Jones et al., 2005). The facial skin is black and the eyes are brown (Jones et al., 2005). The suborbital fossae are pronounced (Jones et al., 2005). The cheek whiskers are long on this species (Jones et al., 2005). Ischial callosities are pink of this species (Jones et al., 2005). The highland mangabey does not exhibit sexual dimorphism in the color of adult pelage (Jones et al., 2005). The adult male has a body mass that is estimated to be between 10 to 16 kilograms (Jones et al., 2005).

RANGE:
The highland mangabey is found in the country of Tanzania at Mount Rungwe and Livingstone in the Southern Highlands and Ndundulu in the Udzungwa Mountains (Jones et al., 2005; Ehardt et al., 2005). This species occurs at high altitudes, from 1300 to 2450 meters (Jones et al., 2005). In Ndundulu this species is found in pristine submontane forests and in Rungwe-Livingstone in degraded montane and upper montane forests (Jones et al., 2005).

ECOLOGY:
This species is arboreal and diurnal (Jones et al., 2005; Ehardt et al., 2005).

LOCOMOTION:
During locomotion, the tail curves down to feet level and carried loosely or parallel to or below the plane of the back (Jones et al., 2005).

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR:


VOCAL COMMUNICATION:
honk-bark: This is loud low-pitched call emitted by the highland mangabey (Jones et al., 2005). This call is given either singly or in a series, and is composed of a variable number of units (Jones et al., 2005). The fundamental frequency of this call is 0.28 kilohertz, with a frequency range of 0.180 to 0.304 kilohertz and a mean unit interval of 0.076 seconds (Jones et al., 2005). This call occurs when conspecific groups meet (Jones et al., 2005).

OLFACTORY COMMUNICATION:


VISUAL COMMUNICATION:


TACTILE COMMUNICATION:


REPRODUCTION:
Female highland mangabeys show genital swelling during estrus (Jones et al., 2005).

REFERENCES:
Ehardt, C.L., Butynski, T.M., and Davenport, T.R.B. 2005. New species of monkey discovered in Tanzania: The critically endangered highland mangabey Lophocebus kipunji. Oryx. Vol. 39(4), 370-371.

Jones, T., Ehardt, C.L., Butynski, T.M., Davenport, T.R.B., Mpunga, N.E., Machaga, S.J., and De Luca, D.W. 2005. The highland mangabey Lophocebus kipunji: A new species of African monkey. Science. Vol. 308, 1161-1164.

Last Updated: January 16, 2006.
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