Monkey common hussar. Types of monkeys. An adult male monkey hussar inspects the surroundings

South of the Sahara, in the steppes and savannahs of Africa, lives a fairly common species of large hussar monkeys from the monkey genus. You can see them mainly among dried herbs and shrubs in steppe groves and in open areas. The body of the hussar monkey (Erythrocebus patas) is covered with light reddish hair, the legs are very long and light, the head is decorated with black stripes on the forehead and near the nose, dark eyebrows, lush sideburns and a whitish mustache. Sometimes golden-orange hussar monkeys are called red monkeys.

These monkeys are terrestrial and are more active during the day. In its natural habitat, the monkey hussar is well camouflaged, and in case of danger, it clings to the ground and freezes, hidden by grass and shrubs. The food of the hussar monkey is made up of all soft parts, tubers and fruits of plants, as well as small vertebrates: birds, rodents and insects.

An adult male monkey hussar inspects the surroundings

Monkey hussar lifestyle

Monkey hussars live in herds of 5-30 individuals, led by the strongest and most experienced male. The females of these monkeys are much smaller than the males. Family members live quite amicably. Hiding among the thickets, hussar monkeys call to each other, making characteristic grunting sounds. They constantly rise on their hind legs and stretch their heads, examining the surroundings over the grass and thickets. These monkeys have sharp eyesight and hearing. They are observant, notice the slightest changes in the environment and run very fast, reaching a speed of 50-60 km / h. If necessary, they deftly climb tall trees, where they prefer to spend the night. In the natural environment, they are very widely distributed with a habitat in African countries: Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, Sudan.

Monkey hussar with a tiny cub

Interesting to know. You can often see how monkey hussars look after each other, fingering the hair on the body of a comrade. This is done mainly not for hygienic purposes, but to emphasize friendships and emphasize the hierarchy of group members.

Reproduction and character traits of the hussar monkey

The female hussar monkey carries her only cub for about 24 weeks. After birth, the light red baby is under the mother's belly for about 6 weeks, but leaves her rather early, being at the same time in the zone of her visibility and hearing, playing with other monkeys. A year later, he finally moves away from his mother and joins a group of peers. The period of its puberty occurs at 4 years.

Baby hussar monkey quickly becomes independent

Interesting to know. The body length of the hussar monkey is 60-85 cm, plus a tail 50-70 cm. Weight 4-12 kg, life expectancy 15-20 years.

Hussar monkeys are very clean animals, so they are often kept at home. Young monkeys are very attached to their owners, but at the age of 5-7 years they can become dangerous and bite with their extremely sharp teeth. The sharp fangs of the monkey hussar also use to crack open the hard shells of nuts, which it likes to feast on.

There are more than 400 species of monkeys on our planet. Also, semi-monkeys are distinguished, which include lemurs, short-footed and tupai. Primates are as similar to humans as possible and have a unique intelligence. Mammals differ significantly from each other depending on the habitat. Some of them can grow up to only 15 cm (pygmy monkeys), while others reach sizes up to 2 meters (male gorillas).

Monkey classification

Monkeys have been studied by scientists for a long period of time. There are a variety of classifications of mammals, the most common of which is considered to be the following:

  • a group of tarsiers;
  • broad-nosed primates;
  • marmoset broad-nosed monkeys;
  • mammals callimico;
  • narrow-nosed group;
  • gibbon;
  • orangutans;
  • gorillas;
  • chimpanzee.

Each of the groups has its own bright representatives, not like anyone else. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Tarsiers, broad-nosed and marmosets

The first three groups of mammals are small monkeys. The smallest of them are tarsier primates:

Sirichta

Sirichta - the length of the animals is about 16 cm, the weight rarely exceeds 160 g. A distinctive feature of the monkeys are huge, round, bulging eyes.

Bankan tarsier

The Bankan tarsier is a small primate that also has large eyes with a brownish iris.

tarsier cast

The ghost tarsier is one of the rarest species of monkeys, having thin, long fingers and a woolen brush at the end of the tail.

Broad-nosed monkeys are distinguished from other mammals by the presence of a wide nasal septum and 36 teeth. They are represented by the following types:

Capuchin-shaped - a feature of animals is a grasping tail.

Crybaby

Crybaby - this type of mammal is listed in the Red Book. The monkeys got their name due to their unique lingering sounds that they make.

favi

Favi - monkeys grow up to 36 cm, while their tail is about 70 cm. Small brown-colored primates with black limbs.

white-breasted capuchin

The white-breasted capuchin is distinguished by a white spot on the chest and muzzle of the primate. The brown color on the back and head resembles a hood and mantle.

Saki Monk

Saki-monk - the monkey gives the impression of a sad and pensive mammal, has a hood hanging over the forehead and ears.

The following types of mammals belong to marmoset broad-nosed monkeys:

wistity

Wistity - the length of the primate does not exceed 35 cm. A distinctive feature is the elongated claws on the toes, which allow you to jump from branch to branch and grab them perfectly.

pygmy marmoset

Dwarf marmoset - the length of the animal is 15 cm, while the tail grows up to 20 cm. The monkey has a long and thick coat of a golden hue.

black tamarin

The black tamarin is a small dark monkey that grows up to 23 cm.

crested tamarin

Crested tamarin - in some sources, the monkey is called pinche. When the animal is worried, a crest rises on its head. Primates have a white chest and front legs, all other parts of the body are red or brown.

piebald tamarin

Pied tamarin - a distinctive feature of the monkey is a completely naked head.

The small size allows you to keep some animals even at home.

Callimico, narrow-nosed and gibbon monkeys

Callimico monkeys have recently been separated into a separate class. A prominent representative of mammals is:

marmoset

Marmoset - animals combined different features of other types of monkeys. Primates have the structure of paws, like marmoset monkeys, teeth, like capuchins and a muzzle, like tamarins.

Representatives of the narrow-nosed group of monkeys can be found in Africa, India, and Thailand. These include monkeys - animals with front and hind limbs of the same length; do not have hair on the muzzle and stressed areas under the tail.

Hussar

Hussar - monkeys with white noses and powerful, sharp fangs. Animals have a long-legged body and an elongated muzzle.

green monkey

Green monkey - distinguished by swamp-colored hair on the tail, back and crown. Also, monkeys have cheek pouches, like hamsters, in which they store food supplies.

Javanese macaque

The Javan macaque is another name for the crabeater. Monkeys have beautiful brown eyes and greenish hair that shimmers with grass.

Japanese macaque

Japanese macaque - animals have thick hair, which gives the impression of a large individual. In fact, the monkeys are of medium size and, due to the long hairline, seem larger than they actually are.

The group of gibbon mammals is distinguished by their hands, feet, face and ears, which are hairless, as well as elongated limbs.

Representatives of the gibbon are:

silver gibbon

The silver gibbon is a small gray-silver animal with a bare muzzle, hands and black feet.

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbon

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbon - a distinctive feature of animals is yellow cheeks, and at birth all individuals are light, and in the process of growing up they become black.

Eastern hulok

Oriental hulok - the second name is "singing monkey". Animals differ in white wool, located above the eyes of mammals. It seems that primates have gray eyebrows.

Siamang

Siamang spliced ​​- from this group, the siamang is considered the largest monkey. The presence of a throat pouch on the animal's neck distinguishes it from other gibbon representatives.

pygmy gibbon

Dwarf gibbon - animals have long forelimbs that drag along the ground when moving, so monkeys often walk with their arms thrown behind their heads.

It should be noted that all gibbons do not have a tail.

Orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees

Orangutans are massive large monkeys with hooked fingers and fatty growths on their cheeks. Representatives of this group are:

Sumatran orangutan

Sumatran orangutan - animals have a fiery coat color.

Bornean orangutan

Bornean orangutan - primates can grow up to 140 cm and weigh about 180 kg. Monkeys have short legs, a large body and arms hanging below the knees.

kalimantan orangutan

The Kalimantan orangutan is distinguished by its brown-red coat and a concave skull in the front. Monkeys are the owners of large teeth and a powerful lower jaw.

Representatives of the gorilla group include the following types of monkeys:

  • Coastal gorilla - the maximum weight of the animal is 170 kg, height - 170 cm. If the females are completely black, then the males have a silver stripe on their backs.
  • Lowland gorilla - characterized by brown-gray fur, habitat - mango thickets.
  • Mountain gorilla - animals are listed in the Red Book. They have thick and long hair, the skull is narrower, and the forelimbs are shorter than the hind limbs.

Chimpanzees rarely grow over 150 cm and weigh over 50 kg. The types of monkeys in this group include:

Bonobo

Bonobo - animals are recognized as the smartest monkeys in the world. Primates have black fur, dark skin, and pink lips.

common chimpanzee

The common chimpanzee has a brown-black coat with white stripes around the mouth. Monkeys of this species move only on their feet.

Monkeys also include the black howler monkey, the crowned (blue) monkey, the pale saki, the frilled baboon, and the kahau.

monkey hussar(Erythrocebus patas)

Class - mammals
Order - primates
Family - marmosets

Genus - monkey hussars

Appearance

Body length of males is 58-75 cm, tail length is 62-74 cm, weight is 7.5-12.5 kg. All limbs are long, fangs are very large. The coat is usually reddish-brown, on the forearms, underside of the body and the end of the tail is light yellow, the whiskers are white.

Habitat

They live in Africa south of the Sahara - in Senegal, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda. They live in wooded steppes and open savannahs.

Lifestyle

During the day, they look for food (herbs, beans, fruits, grains, small animals), hiding in tall grass. At night they climb trees.

They keep in groups of 5-30 individuals. As a rule, there is only one adult male per group. The exception is the breeding season, then free males come to the group.

reproduction

Puberty in females occurs at 3 years, in males at 4-5 years. Pregnancy lasts about five months, after which the female gives birth to one cub. Males stay with their mother until puberty, while young females remain in groups for life.

Monkeys are very smart and sociable creatures, they have a lot in common with humans, but in no case should such a pet be allowed to calmly walk around the house or apartment without human supervision. He is interested in everything, he wants to touch everything and even see what is inside, so he breaks everything that comes to hand.
First of all, for the monkey it is necessary to provide for a sufficiently spacious and strong one, which is recommended to be made of strong wood, the front wall is usually made of metal rods. Connections with bolts or screws are not permitted.
A 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 m cage will do. Monkeys tend to be very active, so the cage should have a variety of climbing gear. Most often, a trapezoid is installed for monkeys, which is a wooden shelf attached with strong ropes or chains. You can install a pole with a movable wheel or hang a large ring of metal or ebonite from the ceiling. The best entertainment for your pet will be a mirror that is well nailed or glued, the frame for it must be made of hardwood. The mirror must be fixed motionless, otherwise a curious monkey can break it and then swallow the pieces.
The monkey is not a very clean animal. Therefore, the bottom of the cage should be covered with a layer of dry sawdust, preferably spruce. For feeding monkeys, feeders are usually used, water is given in drinkers. These devices do not have to be in the cage all the time.
For keeping monkeys, in addition to cages, they sometimes use enclosures or, much worse, keep them in poles. This device is a pole on which there is a horizontal platform used for walking and feeding the animal, as well as a place to sleep. This is probably the most cruel animal keeping, because in this case the monkey must be on a leash all the time. We recommend not to torture your pet, but still provide him with a good home. For example, enclosures are much more suitable for keeping monkeys. They are much more spacious than a cage and in them you can create conditions that are closest to natural. To do this, tree branches are placed in the aviary or various plants are planted.
Your pet needs to be walked periodically. To do this, they need to make a belt with a leash. It can be made from a soft but durable leather belt that will wrap around the body of the animal just below the shoulders. It is necessary to accustom the monkey to this belt from childhood and not to take it off even in the apartment.
The monkeys are fed twice a day, sometimes they can be given various fruits as rewards, but this should not be abused too much. Monkeys, like all primates, feed mainly on plant foods, prefer plant shoots, fruits, flowers and nuts. In addition to vegetable food, you can add small insects, worms, sometimes even mollusks and crabs. It is recommended to give them boiled rice with milk and a white bun soaked in milk, and fruit should also be added; some favorably refer to boiled potatoes and vegetables in general (tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets, boiled corn). For almost all monkeys, watermelon is a delicacy. Very quickly, monkeys get used to various exotic fruits, and if you give them often, then they completely refuse other food, so it is recommended to give bananas and oranges quite rarely. Monkeys are very fond of onion, which is useful for them (contains vitamin C), but since it strongly corrodes the eyes, they build interesting grimaces before using it. Sometimes they should be given cereal and legume seeds.
The amount of food matters a lot. Monkeys are very fond of food, often overeating. Everything that is given to them will find its use. If the stomach is already full, then they will fill the cheek pouches, and if there is still something left, they will hide it in the most unpredictable places, and what, there is absolutely nowhere to go, can be scattered in a cage or in an apartment.
But, in general, monkeys are playful, funny and smart creatures. Having made yourself such a friend, you will certainly never be bored!

Life expectancy in captivity is up to 30 years.

The hussar monkey is a separate and only species of the marmoset family, living south of the Sahara desert, in areas of East, West and Central Africa with a semi-arid climate.

These are grassy semi-arid zones, which are located north of tropical rainforests. Hussars spend most of their time on the ground.

There is some disagreement about the number of subspecies, the fact is that some scientists distinguish 2 subspecies, while others - 4. Most often, these primates are divided into eastern representatives with a white nose and western representatives with a black nose.

The appearance of the hussar monkey

Monkey-hussars have a slender body, with long front and hind limbs. Most of the body is reddish-brown. The coat on the underside of the body, on the limbs and on the tip of the tail is gray-white.

These primates have well developed whiskers. Juveniles have black whiskers, while adults become white. The muzzle has an elongated shape. The fangs are well developed. The tail is equal in size to the length of the body. Above the eyes is a dark stripe that widens towards the ears. The feet and hands are elongated, but the fingers are short.


Monkey hussars are perfectly adapted to moving on the ground. They can run at a speed of 55 kilometers per hour.

Males are much larger than females, on average they weigh 12.5 kilograms, and the weight of females is about 6.5 kilograms.

Listen to the voice of the monkey-hussar

In length, males grow up to 60-87.5 centimeters. And the body length of females is approximately 49 centimeters.

Behavior and nutrition of hussar monkeys


Monkey-hussars form separate groups consisting of females and males. Females gather in large flocks, in which there are up to 60 individuals. In such a flock there is always an alpha male who protects the females. During the breeding season, new males come to these groups. Throughout the rest of the time, males live in separate groups from females.

These primates spend most of their lives on the ground, but they can climb trees and rocks well. Most often they move on 4 limbs, and if they stand on their hind legs, they use the tail as an additional point of support. When monkey hussars get very excited, they jump from side to side. These are silent animals, when they communicate with each other, they use a rather meager system of sounds. Representatives of this species sleep in the crowns of trees.


The hussar monkey is an omnivore.

The diet of hussar monkeys is quite diverse, they eat: herbs, fruits, honey, insects, seeds, eggs, fish, birds. In search of food, these primates daily move a distance of 0.7-12 kilometers. Monkeys try to stay close to water bodies, water is especially important for them during a drought period.

Reproduction and lifespan


The gestation period for these primates is 5.5 months. The female gives birth to 1 cub. Milk feeding lasts 2 years. Individuals become sexually mature at 4 years. At this age, males leave their mothers and unite in small groups. The life expectancy of hussar monkeys in the wild is 21 years, the maximum long-livers live up to 21.6 years.

The hussar monkey belongs to the monkey family and forms a genus in which there is only 1 species. These monkeys spend most of their time on the ground. They live south of the Sahara in the semi-arid regions of West, Central and East Africa. These are semi-desert and grassy zones located north of tropical rainforests. There is some confusion about the number of subspecies. Some experts call 4, while others only 2. This is a western subspecies, in whose representatives the nose is black. And the eastern subspecies, characterized by a white nose.

The body of these primates is slender. The fore and hind limbs are long. The main coat color is reddish brown. The lower part of the body, limbs and the end of the tail are gray-white in color. Well-developed whiskers are white in adult monkeys and black in young ones. The muzzle is elongated with well developed fangs. The tail is long and in size corresponds to the length of the body. Above the eyes there is a dark stripe, expanding to the ears.

The hands and feet of the limbs are elongated, but have short fingers. These animals are well adapted to movement on the ground. While running, they can reach a speed of 55 km / h. Males are noticeably larger than females. The average weight of males is 12.5 kg, while females weigh an average of 6.5 kg. The body length of the representatives of the stronger sex ranges from 60 to 87.5 cm. And the average length of females is 49 cm.

Reproduction and lifespan

Pregnancy lasts 5.5 months. 1 cub is born. The female feeds him with milk for 2 years. Puberty occurs at the age of 4 years. After that, the males leave their mothers and form male groups. Young females stay with their mothers. In the wild, the hussar monkey lives for 21 years. The maximum recorded life expectancy is 21.6 years.

Behavior and nutrition

These primates have groups consisting of females and males. Females can unite in large groups of up to 60 individuals. In such a community there is always 1 adult male. It performs watchdog functions. During the breeding season, there is an influx of males into such groups. The rest of the time, the strong half lives in separate groups.

Monkeys spend most of their time on the ground, but they are good at climbing rocks and climbing trees. They move on 4 legs, when they stand on 2, they lean on the tail, which serves as the third point of support. With strong excitement, animals make jumps from side to side. They are extremely silent, and the range of sounds during communication is not diverse. Sleep climb into the crowns of trees.

The diet is the most varied. These are fruits, grass, seeds, tubers, honey, insects, bird eggs, chicks, adult birds, lizards, fish. On the day, monkey-hussars move 0.7-12 km in search of food. They try to stay close to water bodies. Water becomes especially relevant in times of drought. The population of the species is unknown. But these monkeys come across quite often, so their number is not of serious concern to people.

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