Black and white colobus monkey in Uganda’s forests, the colobus has glossy black fur that strongly contrasts with the long white mantle, whiskers and beard around the face and bushy white tail. They have a lightweight bone structure and elongated limbs make it easier to leap from branch to branch.
Colobus monkeys live in trees in the forests of Central Africa, eating mostly leaves and fruits. They are unusual for their beautiful black and white coloring. Unlike some other monkeys, they live in small groups and spend much of their time resting.
These monkeys rarely descend to the ground. They use tree branches as trampolines, jumping up and down on them to get liftoff for leaps of up to 15 meters (50 feet). They leap up and then drop downward, falling with outstretched arms and legs to grab the next branch as the tail swinging in the air makes these monkeys so beautiful.
The colobus has glossy black fur that strongly contrasts with the long white mantle, whiskers and beard around the face and bushy white tail. They have a light weight bone structure and elongated limbs make it easier to leap from branch to branch.
The females, however, remain with their birth group for their entire life. Each troop has a well-defined territory, which is defended from other groups. Adult troop members, especially males, make croaking roars that can be heard resonating throughout the forest.
Colobus monkeys spend most of their time sitting in the treetops eating and socializing. They take turns sleeping at night so that one member of the troop is always awake and watching for predators. They are strictly leaf eaters. They move through the trees with ease.
Colobus monkeys are diurnal and live in troops of up to 25 individuals with one dominant male, two to six females, and their offspring. Temporary gatherings of over 300 colobus have been observed.
Each “troop” has one male, as well as several females and young. A troop of colobus monkeys spend lots of time sleeping or sunning in tree, their long white tails dangling below.
Black and white Colobus monkeys take turns sleeping at night with at least one group member on sentry duty to watch for predators, which include leopards, crowned hawks, and, occasionally, chimpanzees. Living in a forest means that these leaf-eating monkeys have a plentiful food supply.
Colobus monkeys have no set birthing season. After a gestation period lasting about 142 to 161 days, a female gives birth on average once every 20 months to a white-furred infant. Young colobus monkeys develop their adult coloration around the age of three months.
Black and white colobus monkey babies are pure white for the first few weeks of life and later develop their black and white coats. The name ‘colobus’ means ‘he cut short’ and refers to the species’ stumpy thumb. Colobus monkeys are herbivores and live high up in the canopy.
Black and white colobus (or Mantled guereza) monkeys make loud roars and growls that resonate in the forests of Africa. On my first expedition to Ethiopia in 2018, I arrived at the lodge in the cloud forest at midnight. I could not see what the place looked like and had no idea what to expect\]
Lifespan is about 20 years in the wild, and up to 33 years under human care. The habitat of a colobus includes primary and secondary forest, riverside forest, and wooded grasslands in equatorial Africa and very easy to spot them on your safari in Uganda book with Mirama hills safaris your trip will be memorable for your entire life.
