Dryas monkey

The Dryasmeerkatze ( Cercopithecus dyas ) is a primate of the species of vervet monkeys ( Cercopithecus ) within the family Cercopithecidae ( Cercopithecidae ).

Features

The Dryasmeerkatze similar to the Diana monkey, but the inhabited a completely different region of Africa. The throat and the front of the arms are white, hips and rump orange-red, and the rear back greenish gray. The rest of her fur is black, his face wearing a black, goatee -shaped hairs. Their body length varies between 40 and 55 centimeters, the tail is up to 75 inches long, and its weight is between four and seven pounds.

Distribution and habitat

Dryasmeerkatzen live only in a small region of the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their habitat are secondary forests they inhabit mainly the upper layers of the trees.

Way of life

Dryasmeerkatzen are diurnal and arboreal. They live in harem groups of up to 30 animals, feeding on fruits, flowers, leaves and invertebrates.

Threat

Due to the destruction of their habitat and probably also by hunting them one of the most endangered species, accurate information about their threat status does not exist, however.

System

The Dryasmeerkatze is not, as previously thought, a subspecies of the Diana guenon, but takes within the genus of monkeys a special position and is listed in a separate species group, the dyas group. The sooner sometimes referred to as self-directed nature Zaire Blue Monkey ( Cercopithecus salongo ) is identical to the Dryasmeerkatze.