Animal Encyclopaedia

There are three species of colobus monkeys – the black and white, the red and the olive. The black and whites are divided into 5 sub-species. These can be distinguished visually by fur length and the distribution of white markings.

Colobus monkeys live in African forests. They are arboreal and seldom come to the ground, except occasionally to pick up fallen fruit.

Colobus monkeys move using all four feet, but will also use arm-swinging and leaping, the tail acts as an air brake when leaping. Since the thumb is lacking, a hook grip with the 4 fingers is used during arm-swinging movement and when feeding. Their diet consists mainly of both young and mature leaves, but they also eat fruit, flowers and woody twigs. Black and white colobus monkeys have specialised teeth, and a stomach with 3 chambers, which mean they are capable of surviving on a diet consisting almost entirely of mature leaves. Leaves are often eaten directly from the tree by bending a branch towards the mouth and biting the leaves off one by one. When eating fruit they grasp it between their palm and fingers.

The colobus monkeys live in family or bachelor groups of 3 – 15 individuals within a well defined territory. The black and white colobus share the care of infants between the adult females in the group, particularly during the first month. The adult males have a loud, roaring vocalisation, which is most often heard at dawn and dusk.

The colobus monkeys’ decline in numbers is due initially to the fur trade, and subsequently to habitat destruction.

Main Features:

Colobus are large monkeys with a head and body length longer at 78cm. Fur is black with white or greyish whiskers and epaulettes and a white tail. Thumb is absent or greatly reduced. Newborn infants are pure white, obtaining their adult markings by 3 – 4 months.

In Captivity

The colobus monkeys at Marwell share their enclosure with a group of Diana monkeys. The enclosure has ropes and branches for swinging and climbing, heat lamps, and a shallow pool. The colobus are fed three times a day. For breakfast they are given bananas, and pellets specially formulated for leaf eating animals. They are given fresh leaves when they are available. Lunch consists of a mix of fresh fruit and vegetables, and in the evening they have a mixture of nuts and seeds. Their food is scattered around their enclosure, or sometimes hung in baskets or on sticks from the ceiling. The colobus monkeys at Marwell were bred in captivity and are part of the European breeding programme.