Golden monkey
Subspecies of Old World monkey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) is a subspecies of the blue monkey.[2] It is an Old World monkey found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, including four national parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga and Kahuzi-Biéga, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is restricted to highland forest, especially near bamboo.
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| Golden monkey[1] | |
|---|---|
| |
| Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Family: | Cercopithecidae |
| Genus: | Cercopithecus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. m. kandti |
| Trinomial name | |
| Cercopithecus mitis kandti Matschie, 1905 | |
This species is similar to the blue monkey overall, but the golden monkey has golden-orange upper flanks and back.
Not much is known about the golden monkey's behaviour. It lives in social groups of up to 30 individuals. Its diet consists mainly of bamboo, leaves, and fruit, though it is also thought to eat insects.
Due to the gradual destruction of their habitat and recent wars in their limited habitat, the golden monkey is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Due to its diet, the golden monkey prefers a habitat with abundant fruit and bamboo. The golden monkey moves between areas, depending on the season. During the season when ripe fruit is available, they remain in those areas. At the beginning of the rainy season, bamboo shoots and the golden monkeys move to such habitats. Results of studies indicate that if there is an area consisting of mixed fruit and bamboo, the golden monkeys tend to frequent that area more than areas consisting of only bamboo.[3] Authors of one study reported that golden monkeys are most frequently seen in bamboo forests, suggesting that the species prefers this habitat.[4] The Virunga volcanic mountains have contrasting areas that have different food densities, in which the golden monkeys are capable of adjusting their diets to. In the Virunga Massif, golden monkeys have folivorous diets that include bamboo shoots. However, in the Gishwati forest, golden monkeys are frugivorous, consuming primarily fruits and shrubs.[5]
Behavior and ecology
The golden monkey can travel in groups ranging from three to 62 monkeys. Groups found at higher elevations tend to be smaller.[4] The golden monkey will often return to one of several different sleeping areas after a day of feeding. The monkeys often sleep in small subgroups of four, at the top of bamboo plants. They will often use a dense bamboo plant, or a combination of several bamboo plants that weave together to make a sufficient foundation for sleep. The golden monkey will often feed near the sleeping area and return to this same sleeping location day after day.[3]
Portrait
Eating bamboo
Mating
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Diet
The golden monkey has a diet that consists primarily of young bamboo leaves, fruits, bamboo branchlets, bamboo shoots, invertebrates, flowers, and shrubs. However, the golden monkey is an opportunistic feeder, and the availability of fruit can easily influence its diet. During seasons when ripe fruit is available, the golden monkey tends to feed more on fruit. The golden monkey may also feed on various flowers and shrubs when they are available.[3] The most frequently eaten invertebrates are the pupae of lepidopterous larvae picked from leaves.[4] Bamboo tends to be the most frequently eaten because it is often more available year-round.[3]
Conservation
The golden monkey is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.[2] Certain activities may threaten the conservation of the golden monkey. Illegal activities that harm ecosystems, such as tree extraction and bamboo removal, pose serious threats. Some research indicates that tree removal poses a more serious risk.[3]