Fascinating Facts About Vervet Monkey
Vervet Monkey – Vervet monkeys, endearingly human-like primates, originate from the southeastern regions of Africa but have expanded their range to non-native locations.
These small, energetic, and nimble creatures sport black faces accentuated by gray body hair. Notably, they’re sometimes dubbed “green monkeys” due to the intriguing greenish tint of their fur!
Vervet Monkey Facts Overview
These primates akin to many other non-human primates, have an omnivorous diet, with a penchant for plants like fruits and leaves. Occasionally, they’ll diversify their meals with grasshoppers and other small bugs.
Their reliance on trees for safety prompts them to gather and sleep together in arboreal habitats at night. Throughout the day, they split their time between foraging during the cooler morning and evening hours and resting, grooming, and eating during the scorching midday sun.
Interestingly, there’s no specialized nomenclature to distinguish between male and female vervet monkeys. However, their offspring are referred to as infants. These primates organize into troops, which can surprisingly house up to 70 individuals. Within these troops, a clear hierarchy emerges, assigning each monkey a distinct role and rank.
Despite being classified as “least concern” by the IUCN due to generally healthy populations. These vervet monkeys face increasing threats from human activities such as urbanization. They’re often deemed pests by farmers for their crop-raiding tendencies. Additionally, they suffer from hunting for bushmeat and capture for the pet trade in certain African regions.
Habitat: | Forests |
Location: | Southeastern Africa |
Lifespan: | Up to 30 years |
Size: | 40 to 60 cms (16 – 24 inches) |
Weight: | 3.9 to 8 kg (8.6 – 17.6 lb) |
Color: | Black and grey (with a green tint) |
Diet: | Leaves, fruits, and grasshoppers |
Predators: | Snakes, large birds of prey, wild cats |
Top Speed: | 48 kilometers per hour (30 mph) |
No. of Species: | 1 |
Conservation Status: | Least concern |
Common Characteristics
Vervet monkeys are classified as medium-sized to large, measuring between 15 and 23 inches in length for the head and body, with tails ranging from 11 to 19 inches in length. Typically, they weigh between seven to 11 pounds.
Males tend to be slightly larger than females and are easily distinguished by their turquoise blue scrota. While there are variations in color among different types of vervets, their bodies generally exhibit a greenish-olive or silvery-gray hue. Notably, their faces, ears, hands, feet, and tail tips are black, with a prominent white band on the forehead that seamlessly blends with short whiskers.
Their bodies are covered in close-fitting, moderately long hairs, with elongated side-whiskers. These whiskers, often lighter in color (white or pale yellow), vary in length among individuals.