Virtual Flash cards

10 primate species yOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF

#10

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Photo courtesy of © G. McCabe and D. Fernandez
what is thIS PRIMATE'S common name?
SANJE MANGABEY
also known as Sanje River mangabeys and Sanje crested mangabeys
What is the scientific name?
Cercocebus sanjei
​WHAT KIND OF PRIMATE IS THIS?
MONKEY
Where do they live?
Sanje mangabeys are native to Tanzania, a sovereign state of eastern Africa. They only live in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains, residing on the eastern slopes.
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Africa
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Where Sanje mangabeys live. The red dots are barely perceptible. Map: Chermundy & IUCN/Creative Commons
New world or old world?
OLD WORLD
fascinating facts
  • Of the world’s entire Sanje mangabey population, about 60% lives in the Mwanihana Forest within Udzungwa Mountains National Park; the remaining 40% lives within the Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, southwest of Mwanihana Forest
  • Habitat destruction has isolated the two populations from one another; no interaction between the two groups is known to occur
  • More than half their diet—which includes 90 species of plants—consists of fruits, and nearly a third of their diet consists of seeds. Seasonal availability determines which fruits they eat. They round out their meal plan with a smattering of insects, leaves, flowers, fungi, and the occasional snail or lizard.
  • Considered a relatively new species, the Sanje mangabey was discovered by happenstance in 1979
  • Estimated remaining population: 2,800-3,500 individuals
What threatens their future?
 Sanje mangabey populations are decreasing. Most recent available population estimates range from 2,800 to 3,500 animals. But researchers caution that more a precise census is needed to accurately determine the species’s total population.
Habitat loss, due to deforestation, is a major threat to the species’s survival. Timber and charcoal production have destroyed pristine habitat.

Poaching is a serious threat to the Sanje mangabey population residing within Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, where they are hunted and slaughtered for bushmeat. Locals, for whom poaching is a dubious livelihood, occasionally use dogs to hunt the monkeys; more typically, they use snares. Sometimes, the mangabeys are caught in snares that have been set to capture other species.
​WHAT IS their CONSERVATION STATUS?
ENDANGERED
What Does this Conservation Status mean?
Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild
Any species categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable is considered by conservation scientists to be a threatened species
​HERE'S A SNAPSHOT AND THE SPECIES' PROFILE
Click or tap on the graphic to enlarge it
​LEARN MORE ABOUT Sanje Mangabeys
Go to the Sanje mangabey Primate Species Profiles page
are Sanje mangabeys good pets?
NO
  1. Sanje mangabeys are wild animals. Their diet and environmental needs cannot be adequately met or replicated in human living conditions. 
  2. To become pets, baby primates are stolen from their mothers. As a result, they do not develop normally emotionally.
  3. When taken from the wild, their mothers are killed to capture the baby.
  4. Primates are never domesticated. They always remain wild. 
  5. Caged primates are very unhappy and frustrated. They are likely to resist confinement. They are quick and cause damaging bites and scratches. Some die as a result of their captivity.
  6. Many locations have strict regulations that prohibit trading in or keeping primates and endangered species are pets.
  7. Sanje mangabeys belong with other Sanje mangabeys in Tanzania, East Africa. They and their habitats must be protected, not exploited.
#PrimatesAreNotPets
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​Common names are not officially defined. They are based on everyday conversational language and may differ by country, region, profession, community, or other factors. As a result, it is not unusual for a species to have multiple common names.

Scientific names, on the other hand, are standardized and constant. They are Latinized and rule-bound by a formal naming system called binominal nomenclature. Scientific names prevent misidentification. They typically only change if a species is officially redesignated.
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The biological order of Primates is divided into these classifications:​
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​​New World monkeys are native to Central and South America.

Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia.
Learn about the differences between New World monkeys and Old World monkeys
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  • ​Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity.
  • Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
  • Least Concern (LC) – Widespread and abundant.
  • Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to assess the species' risk of extinction.
  • Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated.
Learn more about ​Conservation Statuses
Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2019. You may freely use and share these learning activities for educational purposes. 
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