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Piliocolobus epieni

2022-12-26 16:13:27 143

Piliocolobus epieni Life habits and morphological characteristics

The Niger Delta red colobus has a slender body, with a head-body length of 53-63 cm, a tail length of 60-70 cm, and a weight of 7-11 kg. It has a typical small head, a long back, and a round abdomen. The limbs are very long. Like other colobus species, the anal warts are small, the tail is long, and the cheek pouches are smaller than those of ordinary monkeys. The fingers are particularly long, and the slender fingers are clenched back to form a strong hook, which is suitable for grasping branches. Like other African colobus species, the thumb has degenerated into a small wart. The head is black, the back, limbs and other parts are brown-red or chestnut brown, and the chest and abdomen are grayish white. The hair on the forehead is typically parted in the center downward.
The snout is prominent, the two jaws are thick, there are 32 teeth, the nostrils are close together facing forward and downward, and the hands and feet have 5 fingers and toes, with flat nails, all of which can sta

Piliocolobus epieni Distribution range and habitat

It is found in the swamp forests of the Niger Delta, Nigeria, between the Forcados-Nikrogha Creek and the Sagbama-Osiama-Agboi Creek.

Piliocolobus epieni Detailed Introduction

The Niger Delta Red Colobus (scientific name: Piliocolobus epieni) was first discovered by scientists in 1993. At that time, scientists believed it was a subspecies of the Eastern Red Colobus, but in 2007, genetic research upgraded the monkey to an independent species.

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The Niger Delta red colobus monkey is a diurnal animal. It lives in tropical rainforests ranging from lowlands to altitudes of more than 3,000 meters. It is arboreal and moves quickly between trees. They usually live in groups of 12-82 individuals, with family territories ranging from 25-150 hectares. Like other red colobus species, groups are multi-male and multi-female, with females usually twice as many as males. The gestation period is about 4.5-5.5 months, with one baby born per litter.
The complex structure of the stomach of the Niger Delta red colobus has been adapted to digest leaves. They are completely vegetarian, eating large amounts of leaves every day, as well as fruits, mosses and seeds, with a daily intake of up to 2-3 kilograms. They also eat soil and charcoal to help digest toxins in the leaves.

Listed as one of the top 25 most endangered primates in the world.

Listed in the 2008 Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ver 3.1 - Critically Endangered (CR).


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