Chlorocebus sabaeus (Linnaeus, 1766)

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 : 673

52.

Green Monkey

Chlorocebus sabaeus

French: Vervet vert / German: Westliche Griinmeerkatze / Spanish: Vervet verde

Other common names: Callithrix Monkey, Grass Monkey, Mangrove Monkey

Taxonomy. Simia sabaea Linneaus, 1766 ,

“Cape Verde Islands,” probably Senegal .

There may be some limited interbreeding of C. sabaeus with C. tantalus in Ghana. This species was long considered part of the genus Cercopithecus and often treated as a subspecies of C. aethiops . Monotypic.

Distribution. From Senegal and Guinea-Bissau (including the Bijagos Archipelago), E to just W of the Volta River system in Ghana; possibly also in S Mauritania. Introduced into the Cape Verde and Canary Is, as well as to Barbados, Nevis, and Saint Kitts Is in the West Indies.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 42-60 cm (males) and 30-50 cm (females), tail 46-76 cm (males) and 41-66 cm (females); weight 3.1-6.4 kg (males) and 1-5—4-9 kg (females). The Green Monkey is grizzled golden-green above, the color extending to limbs and base of tail. Undersurfaces are creamy white, backs of thighs are yellow, hands and feet are gray, and tail tip is golden-yellow. Face is black, with long yellow cheek whiskers, which are directed upward in front of ears and over temples from a whorl just in front of the relatively large (usually black) ears, and sharply distinct from the speckledgreenish crown. There is sometimes (but not always) a light brow band, much less noticeable than in other species of Chlorocebus . Scrotum is very pale blue. Legs are longer than arms. At birth, fur is dark, with face, ears, palms, and soles unpigmented (i.e. light colored). As a youngster ages, fur changes color well before that of the skin. Infants’ tails are relatively shorter than those of adults, and limbs are relatively longer.

Habitat. Broad range of habitats, often preferring riparian gallery woodland, Acacia savanna, coastal scrub, or lowland tropical moist forest edges. Green Monkeys adapt well to living in mangrove swamps; they are often found in deltas of West African rivers. They are also common in riparian forest galleries and may frequent cultivated areas.

Food and Feeding. Green Monkeys eat a wide variety of leaves,fruits, and animal prey. They also eat gum from thorn trees ( Acacia , Fabaceae ), flowers, and seeds. Groups living near the sea often catch and eat crabs on mudflats at low tide; one population living in a mangrove swamp in Senegal fed largely upon fiddler crabs. As expected, their diet varies from month to month and from place to place, and there is great variation in feeding patterns among study sites. These differences are a direct result of food availability and dispersion of plants. Green Monkeys raid crops and will take handouts from tourists.

Breeding. Female Green Monkeys do not have sexual swellings. In Niokolo-Koba, the birth season is at the height of the dry season in January-March. In contrast, in dry habitat of northern Senegal, births are concentrated in the wet season (June—September). First parturition can occur as early as 2-5 years of age, although some first births have been reported at 4-5 years. The interbirth interval is c.12 months. The gestation period is ¢.6 months. Weaning can begin when an infant is as young as three months.

Activity patterns. Green Monkeys are diurnal and mainly terrestrial. They may spend as much as one-third of their time on the ground. They often sleep in gallery forest in dry habitats but may range outside such areas by day. Studies of activity patterns for the Green Monkey provide conflicting data, likely because of differences in habitat type and data collection methods. Although feeding and moving activities vary greatly between study sites, one relatively stable figure is 7-9% of the day spent socializing.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Groups of Green Monkeys often contain two or more adult males. Group size varies; most studies have found 18-33 individuals/group, but a study in Senegal estimated 174 individuals in one group. Daily movements are 665-2670 m, and home range can exceed 138 ha. Female Green Monkeys remain in their natal group, while males disperse. Aggressive behavior is relatively rare, but it may occur when one male is attacking another in the group or when two groups compete for access to a food resource. The latter event will often be accompanied by males leaping about in the trees while displaying their canines and erect penises. Females may participate in “chuttering calls” during this male display. Both sexes will lead departures from trees. Population densities are variously estimated at 1-2—4-4 ind/km?.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. The Green Monkeyislisted as Class B in the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. It is widespread and reasonably abundant. There are no known major threats, and thus population numbers appear to be stable. Nevertheless, they are hunted for meat in Senegal. The Green Monkeys’ adaptability to a wide range of habitats often places them in contact with farmland. They are considered a pest in much of their distribution and can face harm or death from farmers protecting their crops. The Green Monkey occurs in three protected areas: Abuko Nature Reserve in Gambia and Basse Casamance and Niokolo-Koba national parks in Senegal.

Bibliography. Boulton et al. (1996), Chapman (1985), Chapman et al. (1988), Dunbar (1974), Galat & Galat-Luong (1976), Gippoliti & Dell’Omo (2003), Groves (2001), Harrison (1983a, 1983b, 1983c, 1984, 1985), Keddy (1986), Kingdon & Gippoliti (2008a), Oates (2011), Poirier (1972).

Figures

49. Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus patas), 50. Grivet Monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops), 51. Tantalus Monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus), 52. Green Monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus), 53. Malbrouck Monkey (Chlorocebus cynosuros), 54. Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), 55. Bale Mountains Monkey (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis), 56. L’Hoest’s Monkey (Allochrocebus lhoesti), 57. Preuss’s 9 Monkey Allochrocebus (null), 58. Sun-tailed Monkey (Allochrocebus solatus)

Distribution. From Senegal and Guinea-Bissau (including the Bijagos Archipelago), E to just W of the Volta River system in Ghana; possibly also in S Mauritania. Introduced into the Cape Verde and Canary Is, as well as to Barbados, Nevis, and Saint Kitts Is in the West Indies.