Common Name: Patas monkey

Scientific Name: Erythrocebus patas

Description: The patas monkey is the fastest primate on the planet. One individual was tracked reaching a top speed of 33 mph in three seconds. Top speed recorded is around 35 mph ( 55 kilometers per hour). Both arm and leg length are about the same. Patas monkeys have golden reddish coats with light undersides. Males also have longer hairs around the shoulders creating a slight mane appearance and a light colored mustache. Males are approximately twice the size of females. Males weigh up to 13 kg and females up to 7 kg.

Range: Central Africa from coast to coast.

Habitat: Predominantly terrestrial. Grassy savannah. They avoid dense forests but will use trees for shade during the heat of the day. Troops of patas also fan out in trees at night with one monkey per tree.

Diet: Grass, fruit, seeds, occasional insects and even lizards.

Social Life: Groups of patas monkeys typically range from 9 to 30 individuals with groups of as large as 200 reported. These tremendous numbers are most likely only separate troops forced into proximity around water holes in the worst of the dry season. One or rarely two males are present in the group. They are often found in trees or on termite mounds keeping watch or moving ahead of the troop checking for danger and the best feeding areas. Although the male is prominent in the troop, a female actually controls the group and a hierarchy exists within the females to keep order while the male is away. If the male is not protecting the females and offspring well, the females will gang together and attack the male forcing him out of the group. A single young is born following a five and a half month gestation. Maturity is reached between two and a half and four years.

Conservation: The patas monkey is hunted for its meat and also because of occasional crop destruction. Conversion of savannah to farmland has also lowered numbers. Currently, however, the patas is not listed as threatened.

Recommended LINKS & BOOKS

Primate Info Net's Patas monkey page

A great reference book on primates is Noel Rowe's The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates.

Dr. David Macdonald's Encyclopedia of Mammals is one of the great standards for mammal information including the primates. Purchase it through Amazon.com by clicking on the photo to help the zoo!

Another excellent text on African mammals is The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals.