Colobus is derived from a word meaning "mutilated one" because, unlike other monkeys, Colobus monkeys lack thumbs.
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Angolan colobus monkeys are not considered endangered and may be fairly abundant in parts of their range. However, they are vulnerable to habitat destruction and have suffered extensively by hunting for bushmeat and skins, especially in highly populated areas. Populations are declining fairly rapidly in some areas such as the Kakamega forest in Kenya (Von Hippel 2000, Grzimek 1988).
CITES: appendix ii
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Although all primate species may harbor diseases that can be passed to humans, Angolan colobus monkeys do not have significant negative impacts on humans.
Angolan colobus monkeys benefit the people of Africa by providing them with meat and skins. They also attract ecotourism activities and have been used in research (Von Hippel 2000).
Positive Impacts: food ; ecotourism ; research and education
This species provides food for some large predators, such as eagles and large cats. They may disperse seeds of the fruits they eat.
Angolan colobus monkeys are primarily folivorivous, although they also feed on stems, bark, flowers, buds, shoots, fruits, some aquatic plants' fruits and insects. They are also known to eat clay from termite mounds. In many parts of their range, young leaves of the hackberry tree are the food of choice. They can eat up to two to three kilograms of leaves a day and normally feed in the morning and evening (Rowe 1996, Estes 1991).
Animal Foods: insects
Plant Foods: leaves; wood, bark, or stems; fruit; flowers
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )
Angolan colobus monkeys are found from eastern Nigeria through Cameroon, eastern Gabon, northern Congo, the central African Republic, northeastern Zaire, Uganda, Ruanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and northern Tanzania (Grzimek, 1990).
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
Angolan colobus monkeys are found in various habitat types such as gallery, montane, lowland, and bamboo forests. They are also found in savannas and swamp lands. This species inhabits primary and secondary lowland to montane forest up to 3000m (Rowe, 1996; Grzimek, 1990).
Range elevation: 3000 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
Wetlands: swamp
Angolan colobus monkeys can live for 20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity (Grzimek 1990).
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 20 (high) years.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 30 (high) years.
Colobus monkeys are medium-sized, arboreal monkeys with slender bodies and long tails. The five recognized species of Colobus share the following characteristics: a reduced thumb, prominent rump callosities, and a complex stomach which aids in the digestion of cellulose. Angolan colobus monkeys have long, silky hair. They are black with a white brow band, cheeks, and throat. They have long-haired white epaulettes on the shoulders and the lower half of the tail is white. The tail length is 706 mm for females and 829 mm for males and head and body length ranges from 490 to 680 mm. Mass varies between 6 and 11.4 kg, with males slightly larger than females. Young are born completely white and begin changing to their adult pelage at about three months of age (Rowe, 1996; Grzimek, 1990; Wisconsin Primate Research Center, 2000).
Range mass: 6.1 to 11.7 kg.
Average mass: 8.90 kg.
Range length: 49 to 68 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Angolan colobus monkeys are diurnal and highly arboreal, which may help avoid predators that feed at night. They are also able to avoid predators by maneuvering quickly through the trees and by group members joining together to defend themselves (Sanders 2000, Grzimek 1990).
Known Predators:
Colobus angolensis is polygynous. Dominant adult males control reproductive access to the females within their family group. Younger males from within the group or from other groups may periodically replace the dominant male. Females of the family group mate with the dominant male.
Mating System: polygynous
In most Angolan colobus social groups there is one adult male present with about 2 to 6 females. Larger groups generally have more than one resident male. A behavior called presenting is performed by the female to communicate to the male that she is ready for copulation (Estes, 1991; Nowak, 1999). The gestation period ranges from 147 to 178 days and a single offspring is generally born, though twins are possible. In this species, the infants are born all white and start changing color at about 3 months old. Young are not weaned until they are about 15 months of age. Males reach sexual maturity in four years, females in about two years (Grzimek, 1990).
Breeding interval: It is likely that females are capable of producing offspring ever two years.
Breeding season: There is no distinct breeding season.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average number of offspring: 1.00.
Range gestation period: 147 to 178 days.
Average weaning age: 15 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 to 4 years.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 to 4 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Average number of offspring: 1.
Young Colobus monkeys are cared for by their mothers and by other members of the social group. The infants are weaned in about 15 months.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); extended period of juvenile learning
The Angola colobus (Colobus angolensis), Angolan black-and-white colobus, or Angolan colobus is a primate species of Old World monkey belonging to the genus Colobus.
There are six recognized subspecies and one undescribed subspecies from the Mahale Mountains in Tanzania:[1]
Like all black-and-white colobi, the Angola colobus has black fur and a black face, surrounded by long, white locks of hair. It also has a mantle of white hair on the shoulders. The long, thin tail can be either black or white, but the tip is always white. There is a significant regional variation in the total amount of white on the body and the length of the fur. Animals that live in the mountains have longer, thicker fur than animals from the lowlands to protect them against the cold.
The Angola colobus has a head-body length of 50 to 70 cm, with the males usually being larger than females. The tail is about 75 cm long, and the body weight varies between 9 and 20 kg.
The Angola colobus occurs in dense rainforests, both in the lowlands and coastal mountains. It lives in most of the Congo Basin, to the south and northeast of the Congo River, as far as Ruwenzori, Burundi and southwestern Uganda. The species can also be found in East Africa, especially in the interior and coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania and in isolated mountain areas. Although the species is named after Angola, it is quite rare in that country. Of all Colobus species, the Angola colobus occurs in the southernmost latitudes. The geographical range lies south of that of the mantled guereza. It is found up to 2,415 m above sea level in Kenya.[4]
All Colobus species are very sociable and live in groups of up to several hundred animals, although most groups are much smaller. Their diet consists of mostly leaves, but also lesser amounts of fruit and seeds.[5]
The Angola colobus (Colobus angolensis), Angolan black-and-white colobus, or Angolan colobus is a primate species of Old World monkey belonging to the genus Colobus.
