Tana River red colobus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tana River red colobus |
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| P. rufomitratus in Tana River County, Kenya | |
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| Genus: |
Piliocolobus
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| Species: |
rufomitratus
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The Tana River red colobus (Piliocolobus rufomitratus) is a type of monkey that lives in Kenya. It is also known as the eastern red colobus. This monkey is a highly endangered species, meaning there are very few left in the wild. It belongs to the monkey family called Cercopithecidae. These monkeys are found only in a small area of gallery forest near the Tana River in southeastern Kenya.
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What is the Tana River Red Colobus?
The Tana River red colobus is a unique type of monkey found only in Kenya. Scientists used to think it was just a kind of a wider group of red colobus monkeys. However, many now agree it is its own special species. Some scientists still debate if other red colobus monkeys, like those from Uganda or Central Africa, are actually types of the Tana River red colobus.
Why is the Tana River Red Colobus Endangered?
The Tana River red colobus is one of the most endangered primates in the world. To help protect it and the equally endangered Tana River mangabey, the Tana River Primate Reserve was created in 1978. However, people still move into this protected area, which causes problems.
- Loss of Home: The biggest threat is that their forest homes are being cut down. People clear forests to grow crops, build homes, or create barriers like levees. This destroys the monkeys' habitat. About half of their unique forest home has been lost in the last 20 years.
- Fewer Monkeys: A study in 1987 showed that the number of Tana River red colobus monkeys had dropped by about 80% since 1975. This was mainly due to changes in farming, human activity, and the river changing its path.
- Diseases: Another problem is that these monkeys can catch parasitic diseases. Studies have shown that the Tana River red colobus monkeys have more parasites than other primates.
The Tana River Primate National Reserve (TRPNR) has been working to protect these monkeys. They found that only 37% of the red colobus monkeys lived inside the reserve. This makes protecting them even harder.
What Do Tana River Red Colobus Monkeys Eat?
Tana River red colobus monkeys are mostly leaf-eaters. They prefer mature leaves that are rich in nutrients and easy to digest. They also eat small amounts of unripe fruit, moss, and seeds. They do not eat human food.
- Special Stomachs: These monkeys have large stomachs with three chambers. These chambers contain special bacteria that help them break down and digest tough leaves.
- Eating Habits: They eat about two to three kilograms (4.4 to 6.6 pounds) of leaves every day. Sometimes, they even eat soil, clay, or charcoal. This helps them digest any harmful substances in the leaves.
- Resting: Because their food is not very nutritious, they spend many hours each day looking for food. They also spend a lot of time resting to help their bodies digest the leaves.
How Do They Behave?
Tana River red colobus monkeys are generally calm and quiet animals. They live in small groups. They usually make soft calls only when they need to communicate with each other.
Where Do Tana River Red Colobus Monkeys Live?
These monkeys get their name from their home along the Tana River in eastern Kenya. This is Kenya's longest river, stretching about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). The monkeys live in the forests along the river's floodplain.
- River Size: When the river floods, the floodplain can be one to six kilometers (0.6 to 3.7 miles) wide. When it's not flooding, the river itself is about 60 to 100 meters (200 to 330 feet) wide.
- Floods: Floods happen about once a year, with a larger flood occurring every three years.
- Landscape: The floodplain is mostly grassy, but it also has areas of bushland, woodland, and forests where the monkeys live.
Climate of Their Home
The lower Tana River area is usually hot and dry. Temperatures range from 30°C to 38°C (86°F to 100°F). The hottest months are usually January and February, while May through July are the coolest. The area gets about 500 to 600 millimeters (20 to 24 inches) of rain each year. The wettest months are March and April, and the driest are November and December.
Plants in Their Habitat
The main types of plants along the lower Tana River include grasslands, wooded grasslands, bushlands, and different kinds of forests. Because of human activity and floods, the forests are spread out in patches. A study in 1988 looked into why the numbers of Tana River red colobus monkeys were dropping. It found that new types of plants were growing in the regenerating forest. This might have attracted different species, possibly affecting the colobus monkeys.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Tana River red colobus monkeys usually have a mating system where one male mates with several females. The strongest male in a group is usually the one that mates. Not much is known about their breeding in the wild because these monkeys often move around. The dominant male typically mates with females within his own social group.
- Mating: Female monkeys start the mating process by showing special behaviors and making calls.
- Gestation: Red colobus monkeys can breed all year round. Their pregnancy lasts about 4.5 to 5.5 months.
- Infant Care: Baby monkeys cling to their mother's belly. For the first 3.5 months, they stay very close to their mother. Between 3.5 and 5.5 months old, they start to play with other monkeys.
- Leaving the Group: Female monkeys usually leave their birth group around 18 months of age and move to other groups. Male monkeys might also leave their group during their teenage years, but it can be harder for them to join new groups because of the social order.
