Temminck's red colobus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Temminck's red colobus |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Cercopithecidae |
| Genus: | Piliocolobus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
P. b. temminckii
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| Trinomial name | |
| Piliocolobus badius temminckii (Kuhl, 1820)
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| Temmick's red colobus range shown in yellow | |
| Synonyms | |
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Piliocolobus temminckii |
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The Temminck's red colobus (scientific name: Piliocolobus badius temminckii) is a special kind of red colobus monkey. You can find these monkeys in parts of West Africa. They live in countries like Gambia, Casamance (a region in Senegal), Guinea-Bissau, and northwestern Guinea.
Scientists sometimes call this monkey a subspecies of the western red colobus. Other times, they consider it a completely separate species. This means they are very closely related to other red colobus monkeys.
About Temminck's Red Colobus
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Temminck's red colobus monkeys usually live in dry forests where trees lose their leaves. They also live in "gallery forests." These are forests that grow along rivers.
Where They Live
Interestingly, in Senegal, these monkeys also live in savannah areas. Savannahs are open grasslands with scattered trees. No other red colobus monkey lives in savannahs. Living in open areas might be a new habit for them. This could be because many forests have been cut down. In the 1970s, scientists always found them in tall, thick forests.
Monkeys living in savannahs often hang out with green monkeys. Sometimes, they also join patas monkeys and bushbucks. They do this to protect themselves from animals that might hunt them. The Western red colobus lives in rainforests, not dry forests or savannahs. This difference in habitat might explain why they act differently.
What They Eat
Temminck's red colobus monkeys mostly eat fruit and leaves. They also enjoy seeds, flowers, buds, tree bark, and nuts. These foods make up the rest of their diet.
Why They Need Help
The Temminck's red colobus is an endangered animal. This means there are not many of them left in the wild. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists them as endangered.
The biggest dangers to these monkeys are deforestation and hunting. Deforestation means forests are being cut down. This takes away their homes and food. Hunting also reduces their numbers. Protecting their forests and stopping hunting are important steps to help them survive.
