Lophocebus aterrimus (Oudemans, 1890)

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cercopithecidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 550-755 : 657-658

36.

Northern Black Crested Mangabey

Lophocebus aterrimus

French: Lophocebe noir / German: Schopfmangabe / Spanish: Mangabey de cresta negra

Other common names: Black Mangabey, Northern Black Mangabey

Taxonomy. Cercopithecus aterrimus Oudemans, 1890 ,

Congo-Zaire, Stanley Falls.

The population of L. aterrimus in the south-western part of their distribution was described as the subspecies opdenboschi, but following C. P. Grove’s review in 2007, itis regarded here to be a full species ( L. opdenboschi ). L. aterrimus replaces L. johnston: south of the Congo River. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to DR Congo, in the C Congo Basin S & W of the Congo-Lualaba River System.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 40-62 cm, tail 55-85 cm; weight 8 kg (males) and 4-5— 6-7 kg (females). The Northern Black Crested Mangabey is a slender mangabey, with relatively long extremities and tail, and typified by its coarse and almost entirely black color. It has a high conical crest that rises to a point at the back of the head, but no brow fringe or shoulder mantle. Its face is naked and slate-black with orangey-red eyes. Cheek whiskers are sepia-gray (contrasting with the black of the body) and notably thick and elongated; they sweep back and up with a slight outward and forward curve. Female Northern Black Crested Mangabeys are smaller than males. Albinism and leucism (reduced pigmentation) are fairly common.

Habitat. A variety of forest types including semi-deciduous, gallery, and swamp forests. In Salonga National Park, the Northern Black Crested Mangabey occurs in swamp forests, but it does not occupy swamp in Lomako. It uses all forest levels (especially the middle canopy) and seldom descends to the ground.

Food and Feeding. The diet of the Northern Black Crested Mangabey contains mainly fruits (as much as 57% of the diet) and seeds (up to ¢.30% of the diet). It also eats young leaves (up to 16% of the diet), flowers and nectar (up to 17-5%), bark, gums, and animal prey (including insects and small reptiles). In Salonga National Park, Northern Black Crested Mangabeys show high rates of nectarivory in some months.

Breeding. Female Northern Black Crested Mangabeys exhibit a pink genital swelling when sexually receptive. In captivity, the menstrual cycle is 21-40 days (average 26 days).

Activity patterns. Northern Black Crested Mangabeys are diurnal and arboreal. An activity budget recorded at La Tumba in the DR Congo was 36-2% foraging and traveling, 38-3% resting (especially in late morning and late afternoon), and 24-0% engaging in social behavior; very little time was spent exclusively traveling (1-5%). They use all levels of the forest canopy, to the tallest canopy-emergents, but lower and middle canopies (12-30 m above ground) are used most for foraging and traveling. They rest mostly at 24—42 m.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Northern Black Crested Mangabey lives in multimale—multifemale groups of 11-19 individuals. The home range of a group of 19 individuals (with three adult males five adult females) at Lake Tumba (DR Congo) was 70 ha, and that of another group of the same size was 48 ha. The groups showed noterritorial defense, and home ranges overlapped by 60-75%. Males disperse. A population density of 69 ind/km* has been recorded at Lake Tumba and 73 ind/km? at Lomako. Primary vocalizations of the Northern Black Crested Mangabey are very similar to those of the closely related Gray-cheeked Mangabey ( L. albigena ). “Whoop-gobble” calling recorded for the Northern Black Crested Mangabey indicate that it is a male call (as has been found for the Gray-cheeked Mangabey) and may function in intergroup location and spacing and in male dominance (males within the group and between males in different groups). About 70% of all whoop-gobbles are heard in the morning from sunrise to ¢.11:00 h. Grunts are given predominantly in agonistic situations between males. Staccato barks of the Northern Black Crested Mangabey (resembling distant braying of a donkey) are alarms, given when seeing humans and their main predators such as crowned hawk-eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus). There is also evidence that Bonobos (Pan paniscus) prey on Northern Black Crested Mangabeys. They frequently associate with other species of arboreal monkeys, and alarm calls of Red-tailed Monkeys ( Cercopithecus ascanius ) and Wolf's Monkeys (C. wolf) that travel with them elicit their staccato barks.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Northern Black Crested Mangabey is listed as Class B in the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. It is hunted for food and may be threatened by loss of habitat from logging. Little is known about its status. It is subject, however, to intensive, uncontrolled hunting for its meat in most parts of its distribution, and it is also vulnerable to loss of forest habitat. The Northern Black Crested Mangabey occurs in Salonga National Park, Tumba-Lediima Reserve, and Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve in the DR Congo.

Bibliography. Bernstein et al. (2007), Calle et al. (1990), Chapman et al. (1999), Colyn (1987, 1988, 1994), Eppley et al. (2010), Gautier-Hion & Maisels (1994), Gautier-Hion et al. (1999), Groves (1978, 2001, 2005b, 2007a), Grubb (2006), Hill (1974), Horn (1987a, 1987b), Jolly (2007), Kingdon (1997), Maisels & Gautier-Hion (1994), Maisels et al. (1994), Maté et al. (1995), McGraw (1994), McGraw etal. (2012), Surbeck et al. (2009), Swedell (2011).

Figures

On following pages: 16. Arunachal Macaque (Macaca munzala); 17. Tibetan Macaque (Macaca thibetana); 18. Stump-tailed Macaque Macaca arctoides); 19. Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis); 20. Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta); 21. Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata); 22. Taiwanese Macaque (Macaca cyclopis).

Distribution. Endemic to DR Congo, in the C Congo Basin S & W of the Congo-Lualaba River System.