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Cyber FlashCards

10 of the weirdest primate species

#4

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what is thIS PRIMATE'S common name?
WESTERN RED COLOBUS MONKEY
Also called the bay red colobus, rust red colobus,
or Upper Guinea red colobus
What is the scientific name?
Piliocolobus badius
​WHAT KIND OF PRIMATE IS THIS?
MONKEY
Where do they live?
The western red colobus monkey is native to the coast of West Africa in the countries of Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. They prefer primary or mature old growth forest, but they live in all levels of the tree canopy from moist forest to gallery forest alongside streams or rivers.
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Africa
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Where Western red colobus monkeys live (green). Where they're likely extinct (orange). Map: Chermundy & IUCN/Creative Commons
New world or old world?
OLD WORLD
fascinating facts
  • Primarily arboreal, western red colobus monkeys occupy all level of the rainforest
  • They live in large groups of anywhere from 20 to 90 individuals 
  • They rarely descend to the ground, except when associating with Diana monkeys
  • Their complex stomachs allow them to digest mature or even toxic foliage that other monkeys cannot; they have a ruminant-like multi-chambered stomach that is capable of digesting cellulose
What threatens their future?
Some of their threats consist include hunting for bushmeat, habitat loss and degradation from agriculture and human activities, and human intrusion and disturbances, including civil unrest.
​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
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Click or tap on the graphic to enlarge it
​LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTERN RED COLOBUS Monkeys
Go to the western red colobus Primate Species Profiles page
are western red colobus monkeys good pets?
NO
  1. Western red colobus have very specific dietary and environmental needs. Those needs cannot possibly be met 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. In their natural habitat, western red colobus monkeys live in large social groups. It is cruel to isolate them as pets.
  7. Many locations have strict regulations that prohibit trading in or keeping primates and endangered species are pets.
  8. Western red colobus monkeys belong with other colobus monkeys in their West African forests. They and their habitats must be protected, not exploited.
#PrimatesAreNotPets
Why Do Species have both common and scientific names?
x
​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.
What's  the differences between monkeys, apes, and prosimians?
x
The biological order of Primates is divided into these classifications:​
  • Great Apes: bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, humans, and orangutans ​
  • ​Lesser Apes: gibbons ​
  • ​Monkeys: baboons, capuchins, colobus, drills, geladas, guenons, howlers, kipunjis, langurs, macaques, mandrills, mangabeys, marmosets, night monkeys, patas monkeys, proboscis monkeys, sakis, snub-nosed monkeys, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, tamarins, titis, uakaris, and woolly monkeys ​
  • ​​Prosimians: the oldest, most “primitive” order of primates, includes galagos (bushbabies), lemurs, lorises, pottos, and tarsiers​ ​​
Where in the world do nonhuman primates live?
x
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Learn more about where in the world nonhuman primates live
What are new world and old world monkeys?
x
​​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
What are the Levels of a rainforest?
x
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​Learn more about the ​Levels of a Rainforest
What are the conservation statuses?
x
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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
Learn More about Primates and their habitats
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Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2019. You may freely use and share these learning activities for educational purposes. 
​For questions or comments, e-mail us at info@neprimateconservancy.org.
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  • Primate Conservation
    • Primate Conservation
    • Primate Facts
    • Conservationist Limelight
    • Primates in Animal Studies
  • Education
    • What is Humane Education?
    • The Case of the Disappearing Habitat: The Candy Culprit-Get Started! >
      • Step 1: You're On the Case
      • Step 2: You Get a Clue
      • Step 3: The Investigation
      • Step 4: The Candy Boss
      • Step 5: The Case Isn't Closed Yet
      • Good Detective Strategies and Helpful Hints
    • Cyber Flashcards >
      • 10 of the most well known primate species
      • 10 of the weirdest primate species
      • 10 primate species you probably never heard of
      • 10 of the most endangered primates species
    • The Alphabet Soup of Conservation-Video and Introduction >
      • Alphabet Soup Activities
    • Your Evolutionary Family Tree-Start here >
      • Step 1: Observation
      • Step 2: Questions
      • Step 3: Background Research
      • Step 4: Hypothesis
      • Step 5: Experiment
      • Step 6: Analyze Data
      • Step 7: Conclusions
      • Step 8: Publish
      • Lab Notebook
    • Where Primates Live
    • Primates and Their Habitats Introduction >
      • Game 1: Monkey Match Up
      • Game 2: Concentration
      • Game 3: One Handed Solitaire
      • Game 4: Go Fish With a Twist
      • Activity 5: Whos in the Cards
    • Life in Tropical Rainforests Introduction >
      • Activity 1: Rainforest Matching Game
      • Activity 2: Living Between the Layers
      • Activity 3: Where in the World
      • Activity 4: Finding Fun Rainforest Facts
      • Activity 5: You Can Help Rainforests
  • Primates At-a-Glance
    • African Apes At-a-Glance
    • African Monkeys At-a-Glance
    • African Prosimians At-a-Glance
    • Asian Apes At-a-Glance
    • Asian Monkeys At-a-Glance
    • Asian Prosimians At-a-Glance
    • Latin American Monkeys At-a-Glance
  • Primate Profiles
    • Apes of Africa >
      • Bonobos
      • Chimpanzees
      • Gorillas
    • Apes of Asia >
      • Orangutans
      • Gibbons
    • Monkeys of Africa >
      • Allenopithecus
      • Baboons
      • Colobus Monkeys
      • Geladas
      • Grivets, Tantalus, Malbroucks, and Vervets
      • Guenons
      • Kipunjis
      • African Macaque
      • Mandrills
      • Mangabeys
      • Patas Monkeys
    • Monkeys of Asia >
      • Langurs, Leaf Monkeys, Lutungs, Surilis
      • Macaques
      • Proboscis Monkeys
      • Snub-Nosed Monkeys
    • Monkeys of Latin America >
      • Capuchin Monkeys
      • Howler Monkeys
      • Marmosets
      • Muriquis
      • Night or Owl Monkeys
      • Saki Monkeys
      • Spider Monkeys
      • Squirrel Monkeys
      • Tamarins
      • Titi Monkeys
      • Uakaris
      • Woolly Monkeys
    • Prosimians of Africa >
      • Galagos or Bushbabies
      • Lemurs
      • Pottos
    • Prosimians of Asia >
      • Lorises
      • Tarsiers
    • Glossary
  • How To Help Wildlife
    • What You Can Do
    • Personal Choices
    • Using media
    • In Your Community
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Education Team
    • Board of Directors
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
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  • Donate Today