Added to My Visit
This item has already been added
Did You Know?

Member Visitor Tips

Viewing Hints


Home > Meet Our Animals > Mammals > Primates > Red-capped mangabey
Red-capped mangabey
Cercocebus torquatus
 
Size Their bodies are about 2 ft (61 cm) long, with another 12 - 20 in (30-51) of tail.
Weight 8-25 lbs (4-11 kg). Females are smaller than males.
Conservation Status On the 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the red-capped mangabey is listed as Vulnerable.
Diet In the wild red-capped mangabey consume mainly fruit, seeds and insects. Studies of wild red-capped mangabey are needed to determine the specifics of their diet and feeding behaviors. At the Zoo, the red-capped mangabey is offered a base diet of primate biscuit. Several different brands of high fiber biscuits are included. The enrichment portion of the diet includes a variety of fruit, vegetables and leafy greens. During the summer browse (tree leaves and twigs) are added to the diet for variety and additional activity.
Geographic Range Red-capped mangabeys live in the Atlantic coastal forests of Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria. They can be found in a broad range of habitats, from swamps and mangroves to dry secondary forests and even cultivated areas; they will be content as long as they are close to drinking water. In the wild, this species associates with mona monkeys, white-throated guenons, western red colobus, and black-and-white colobus.
Where to find me in the Zoo Rare Animal Conservation Center
Note: Description below should include Longevity, Behavior, and Reproduction information
A red-capped mangabey has a red cap, a white collar, and white eyelids. The back is dark brown to black, and the dark tail has a white tip. The tail is usually held over the body with the tip just over the head. The underparts are white.
 

Longevity

Red-capped mangabeys in zoos can live into their 40's, although a typical lifespan is somewhat shorter. Wild red-capped mangabeys can live up to 30 years.
 

Behavior

Red-capped mangabeys are more willing to leave the trees compared to some other mangabey species. They have been observed traveling on the ground in single-file and feeding off the forest floor. When in the trees, they prefer the lower-level branches of the understory. Red-capped mangabeys live in multi-male and multi-female groups of 14 to 60 individuals. They do not form all-male groups, but solitary males have been observed. They are diurnal and relatively peaceful; they range over large territories, but they do not usually exert themselves to dispel other groups from their territory. Males give a very loud, two-note barking call that both calls the group to him, and alerts other groups to stay away. This vocalization thus plays a role in regulating group spacing and minimizing inter-group aggression.
 

Reproduction information

Red-capped mangabeys rearch sexual maturity at 5-7 years of age. They have a gestation period of 170 days, and typically give birth to one young every year and a half. There is no breeding season, although most births tend to occur from March to August.
 
Stormy:  Male, born August 16, 1994 at the Houston Zoo.  He arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo on July 12, 1999

Enrichment

Adoption Information

Featured Foster Parent

Sources: Sources: 1) Rowe N. 1996. The Pictoral Guide to the Living Primates. Charlestown: Pogonias Press. p. 145; 2) Napier JR, Napier PH. 1967. A Handbook of Living Primates: Morphology, Ecology and Behavior of Nonhuman Primates. New York: Academic Press. p. 94-99; 3) Graves E (editor). 1971. Monkeys & Apes. Time Life Films, Inc. p.102-103; 4) Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals, Vol. 2. 1990. New York (NY): McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. p. 257-263; 5) Nowak RM. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed., Vol. 1. Baltimore (MD): Johns Hopkins University Press. p.577-579; 6) Encyclopedia of Life v.2011.05.03. . Downloaded 25 January 2011. 7) Cercopan. . Downloaded 25 January 2011; 8) IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded 26 June 2011.