African Monkeys is a genus of medium-sized enterprises of the primates of the family of Old World monkeys. There are six species currently recognized, although some classify them all as one species with many subspecies. This article uses the term Chlorocebus consistent for the kind and the only common name of the species. these monkeys is sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Ethiopia to South Africa. However, in previous centuries, a number of them were taken as pets by the slavers, and were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean islands, with the enslaved Africans. The monkeys escaped or were later released and was naturalized.
The dorsal fur of monkeys Chlorocebus varies between species from pale yellow to gray-green to dark brown, while the lower part and the ring of hair around the face is a whitish yellow. The face, hands and feet are bare and black, although their abdominal skin is bluish. Males have a blue scrotum and penis red. Rather, they are semi-arboreal and semi-terrestrial, spending most of day on feeding the ground and then sleep at night in trees. However, they must drink every day and depend on the water, so they are never far from rivers or lakes. Like most other Old World monkeys, they have cheek pouches for storing food. They are diurnal and are most active early morning and later afternoon or early evening.
The group hierarchy plays an important role: dominant males and females are given priority in search of food, and are maintained by the junior members of the group. They have female philopatry, a social system where females remain in the same home range they were born in the males leave after sexual maturity. These monkeys are territorial animals and a group can occupy an area of about 0.06 to 1.78 square kilometers (0.023 to 0.69 square miles). They use a variety of vocalizations. They can warn members of other groups from their territory, and they can also notify members of their own troop of dangers from predators, using different calls for different predators.
Monkeys scream when they are disciplined by members of the troupe. They eat leaves, gum, seeds, nuts, herbs, mushrooms, fruits, berries, flowers, buds, shoots, invertebrates, bird eggs, birds, lizards, rodents and other vertebrate prey. Their favorite foods are fruits and flowers, a seasonal resource that varies to cope with changes in food availability. On the island of St. Kitts, they fly often brightly colored alcoholic beverages left by tourists on the beach. Many tourists have also discovered the monkeys will deliver a powerful bite if they are cornered or threatened.
Males do not participate in rearing the young, but the other females in the group (the "aunts") to participate in sharing the burden. The dominance hierarchy also comes into play, as the descendants of the most dominant group members get preferential treatment. The gestation period is about 163 to 165 days and births are usually a single young. The births usually occur at the beginning of the rainy season, when there is enough food available.
On the island of Barbados, the farmers complain the monkeys damaging their crops, and many are trying to find ways to keep them at bay. On Halloween of 2006 a monkey was suspected of causing an island-wide ban of 8 hours. The monkey apparently climbed a light pole and sparked a 11,000 to 24,000 volts and CPL early this morning. In Africa, many monkeys are killed by powerlines, dogs, vehicles, shooting, poisoning and hunting, both as a food source and as a source of traditional medicines.
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