Allen's swamp monkey
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| Allen's swamp monkey[1] | |
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| At the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Cercopithecidae |
| Subfamily: | Cercopithecinae |
| Tribe: | Cercopithecini |
| Genus: | Allenopithecus Lang, 1923 |
| Species: | A. nigroviridis |
| Binomial name | |
| Allenopithecus nigroviridis (Pocock, 1907) | |
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| Allen's swamp monkey range | |
Allen's swamp monkey (Allenopithecus nigroviridis) is a species of Old World monkey and the only member of the genus Allenopithecus. Phylogenetically, it is a sister clade to the guenons,[3] but differs in dentition and habits.
Allen's swamp monkey was named after American zoologist Joel Asaph Allen.[4]
Range
[edit]Allen's swamp monkey lives in the Congo Basin, with its range spanning the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo.[5][6] Prior to the 1990s, its range was believed to be limited to the riparian forests and swamps adjacent to the lower Likouala-aux-Herbes, Oubangui, and Sangha rivers, however a discontinuous population was confirmed in the upper Sangha in 2006, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of its previously recognized range.[7] It was recorded from Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve in the Central African Republic in 2016.[2]
Description
[edit]Allen's swamp monkey has an overall guenon-like appearance, however it also possesses traits more akin to those of papionins.[8]: 177 It has a stocky, robust build,[9][8]: 624 differing from the typically gracile bodies of other members of Cercopithecini.[10] It can reach a full body length from 45 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in),[citation needed] with a roughly 50 cm (20 in) long tail.[9] Males, weighing up to 6.0 kg (13.2 lb), are substantially larger than the females, which only weigh up to 3.7 kg (8.2 lb).[9] Allen's swamp monkey has a generalized skeleton that facilitates both arboreal and terrestrial locomotion.[10] With the exception of the free thumb, the fingers are webbed between the proximal phalanges, which may be an adaptation to its palustral lifestyle.[11] The standing posture resembles that of a baboon, with the thumb and index finger articulated independently from the other three digits.[8]: 650 The adult brain weighs 1⁄51 the body weight.[8]: 649 The cercopithecine air sac of the respiratory tract is large, such that it extends above the suprasternal notch beneath the skin.[8]: 43,642 The secondary fissures of the liver are prominent.[8]: 641 Unlike most other cercopithecins, female Allen's swamp monkeys undergo sexual swelling during estrus.[8]: 134,177 Males have relatively large testes for a cercopithecin.[8]: 644
The skin is dark, although it becomes pale on the cheeks. The pelage consists of gray, olive, and yellow shades, with a grayish-brown agouti layer at the base of the hairs. The hairs on the upper lip are black, and a dark stripe connects the corner of the eye to the ear. The whiskers are olive, and are angled dorsally across the face. The top of the head, neck, back, and shoulders have a yellowish tinge. The chin, neck, chest, abdomen, and inner limbs are pale. The tail is darker than the rest of the pelage towards the tip, and is yellow at the base and on the underside.[12] The newborn pelage is yellower than the adult's, albeit the yellow hues are more pronounced. The natal coat is replaced at 10 weeks.[8]: 651
Behavior
[edit] |
Allen's swamp monkey is a diurnal animal and regularly looks for food on the ground. It inhabits swampy, water-rich areas and can swim well, diving to avoid danger. It lives in social groups of up to 40 animals, communicating with different calls, gestures, and touches.
Its diet consists of fruits and leaves, as well as beetles and worms.
Little is known about the mating habits of this species. The females bear young, which are weaned around three months old and are mature after three to five years. Its lifespan can be as long as 28 years.[5] Raptors, and snakes are the natural predators of Allen's swamp monkey. It is also hunted for its meat.
References
[edit]- ↑ Groves, C. P. (2005). "Order Primates". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- 1 2 Maisels, F.; Mittermeier, R.A.; Oates, J.F.; Hart, J. (2020). "Allenopithecus nigroviridis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020 e.T865A166606573. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T865A166606573.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ↑ Perelman, Polina; Johnson, Warren E.; Roos, Christian; Seuánez, Hector N.; Horvath, Julie E.; Moreira, Miguel A. M.; Kessing, Bailey; Pontius, Joan; Roelke, Melody; Rumpler, Yves; Schneider, Maria Paula C.; Silva, Artur; O'Brien, Stephen J.; Pecon-Slattery, Jill (17 March 2011). "A Molecular Phylogeny of Living Primates". PLOS Genetics. 7 (3) e1001342. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1001342. PMC 3060065. PMID 21436896.
- ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2009). The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8018-9533-3.
- 1 2 "Allen's swamp monkey". Smithsonian's National Zoo. 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ↑ "Allen's Swamp Monkey Characteristics | Allenopithecus nigroviridis Facts". Bio Explorer. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ↑ Maisels, F.; Blake, S.; Fay, M.; Mobolambi, G.; Yako, V. (August 2006). "A Note on the Distribution of Allen's Swamp Monkey, Allenopithecus nigroviridis, in Northwestern Congo". Primate Conservation. 21: 93–95. doi:10.1896/0898-6207.21.1.93.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hill, W.C.O. (1966). Primates: Comparative Anatomy and Taxonomy. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 43, 134, 177, 624, 641–642, 644, 649, 650–652. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Rowe, N.; Goodall, J. (1999). The pictorial guide to the living primates (2nd ed.). Charlestown, Rhode Island: Pogonias Press. p. 147. ISBN 0-9648825-1-5.
- 1 2 Lo Bianco, S.; Masters, J.C.; Sineo, L. (November 2017). "The evolution of the Cercopithecini: a (post)modern synthesis". Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews. 26 (6): 336–349. doi:10.1002/evan.21567.
- ↑ Hill, W.C.O. (1964). "XXI.—The External Anatomy of Allenopithecus". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Section B. Biology. 68 (4): 302–326. doi:10.1017/S0080455X00001120.
- ↑ Pocock, R.I. (18 June 1907). "A monographic revision of monkeys of the genus Cercopithecus". Proceedings Of The General Meetings For Scientific Business Of The Zoological Society Of London: 679, 725–726, 739–740. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
