Ursine colobus

The Geoffroy Colobus (Colobus vellerosus ) is a primate of the group of colobus monkeys. It is named after its first describer Isidore Geoffroy named.

Features

Geoffroy- colobus monkeys are like all Colobus slender, long-tailed primates with rückgebildetem thumb. The coat is predominantly black in color, he has white spots on the hips and white hair that frames the face. The tail is also white and, in contrast to other members of the black-and- white colobus monkeys no tassel.

Distribution and habitat

Geoffroy- colobus monkeys live in West Africa, their range extends from the Ivory coast to the western Nigeria. Habitat of this type forests.

Way of life

These primates are diurnal and arboreal, they usually spend their time in the treetops and are hardly on the floor. They live in small groups, which are composed of one male, several females and the corresponding offspring. They are territorial, the males exhibit through loud roar mainly in the morning other groups on their whereabouts back.

Mature leaves and seeds make up the main component of the diet, to a lesser extent, they also eat fruits and young leaves. A multi-chamber stomach helps them in the recovery of indigestible food leaves.

After an approximately five - to six-month gestation, the female gives birth to usually a single young is born. This is initially white in color and forms with only several months, the typical black -and-white coloration of adult animals.

Threat

Like many other residents of West African forests are Geoffroy- Colobus threatened by the progressive destruction of their habitat, associated with the hunting for their meat. The IUCN lists the species as endangered ( vulnerable ).

System

Previously it was the Geoffroy- Colobus as conspecific with the White Beard Colobus, today they are regarded as separate species. The Ivory Coast living, formerly regarded as a subspecies of colobus population vellerosus dollmani is a hybrid formation between the two types dar.